Minding Millicent
by theatrchy2004
Summary: Hux is called away on urgent family business, leaving him with no choice but to leave his beloved cat, Millicent, in the care of his annoying new neighbor. When Millicent takes a liking to her new caretaker, will it lead to something more between the neighbors? Modern AU SLASH GingerPilot Poe/Hux Slow burn
1. Chapter 1

Armitage Hux was not a patient man. He was not a patient man, but he'd learned that enduring life's little annoyances in silence was often more socially acceptable than nitpicking people to death. That said, he'd been enduring this noise all day and it was wearing on his last nerve. The flat across from him had finally been leased and it seemed a herd of elephants had been hired to load the new tenant's belongings in. Laughing elephants. Armitage understood that the process of moving in could never be a silent affair, especially given the lack of elevator in the building, but did they have to enjoy themselves so bloody much?

Even Millicent seemed perturbed by the ruckus coming from the hallway. Her orange tail twitched as she lounged in her window hammock, an expression of pure disdain gracing her feline features.

It was his day off, and he'd been trying to actually relax for once, rather than pouring himself over yet another mind-numbing case he literally gave no shits about. Life as a corporate lawyer was hardly exciting, but it was respectable and allowed Armitage to live up to the high expectations his father had of him.

"What do you say, Millie? Shall I tell them all to bugger off?" he asked the cat. Millicent blinked slowly, which Armitage took as assent. He nodded sharply, "Agreed." Just as he was about to stand up the noise stopped. Not trusting it, Armitage hovered halfway between sitting and standing for a few moments. When the noise didn't return he sighed and returned to his seat. "Well, that's that then." He picked up his book his book from the coffee table and resumed reading.

* * *

Armitage was just getting to a juicy part in his book when there was a knock at his door. He sucked in air sharply through his nose before releasing it slowly in an attempt to calm himself. He considered ignoring the intrusion, but ultimately decided to answer the door and get this interruption over with so he could get back to his book. He stomped over to the door, swinging it open.

He was greeted by the sight of a man, about his age and quite handsome if Armitage was being honest with himself. Shorter than him, but of a stronger build, the stranger had a pleasing olive complexion and dark, unruly locks.

"Hey, just wanted to introduce myself. I moved in just across the hall here. Poe Dameron," he extended his hand to Armitage to shake. He was American, which really didn't come as a shock seeing as it was Armitage who had relocated to the States some time ago. The Brits he met were few and far between.

Sizing his new neighbor up, Armitage slowly extended his own hand to give him a firm handshake. "You may call me Hux."

"Hux, nice to meet you. Maybe once I'm settled you could come over so we can get acquainted."

"I really don't think that's necessary."

Poe's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. The awkward moment was interrupted by a small meow. Poe shifted his gaze downward, seeing an orange tabby cat wearing a bejewelled collar. Squatting down on his haunches, Poe offered a hand for her to sniff. "And who is this little beauty?"

"This is Millicent."

Millicent sniffed Poe's hand before rubbing her chin on it and demanding pets.

"Hey there, Millie," Poe greeted the cat.

"You may call her Millicent."

Poe let out a noise that could have been a scoff or a chuckle. "Millicent then." He stood again to speak to Armitage. "Well you know where to reach me if you ever need anything."

Armitage eyed Poe suspiciously. "Indeed."

An awkward silence fell on the pair.

"Right. Well," Poe shoved his hands in his pockets. "Night then. Hux."

Armitage merely nodded and waited until Poe had retreated into his own apartment before closing the door. What his new neighbor thought he might need from him was anyone's guess. It's not as though Armitage was a baker; he'd hardly be coming round to borrow a cup of sugar or any such nonsense.

* * *

It had been a couple of months since Poe moved into his new apartment and he was loving it. It had a great view, the location was close to the school he taught at and the apartment itself was spacious. Since he helped lead a number of grassroots movements, having the space to be able to host meetings and events was awesome. Though he'd noticed his neighbor didn't seem to appreciate the meetings. More than once he'd come knocking asking them to keep it down. Poe tried to keep it down to a dull roar, but it was tough sometimes with his friends. What could he say? They were rebels.

His neighbor...was a bit odd he had to admit. Hux he'd said to call him. Poe wasn't sure exactly what to make of him. He was clearly wound tighter than a two dollar watch. Even so, there was something appealing about him. He was tall and lean, and his ginger hair and light complexion were in sharp contrast to Poe's own features. On weekdays he'd leave in the morning wearing a sharp-looking suit, carrying a well-crafted leather briefcase, so he clearly had some kind of high end job. Poe couldn't imagine wearing an outfit like that without suffocating. He could barely stand wearing the tie he was required to wear to teach. Nevertheless, this Hux guy made it look good.

It was a drizzly Wednesday night when it happened. Poe was grading papers by the dim light of his desk lamp when he heard a timid knock at the door.

"Just a minute!" Poe called as he scanned the page quickly to mark it so as not to lose his place. When he made his way over to the door he looked through the peephole to see Hux at his door with that orange cat of his in his arms. He watched for a moment as Hux paced away from Poe's door, muttering to himself, before pacing back. He was about to knock again when Poe opened the door.

"Ah," Hux straightened, as though he hadn't been nervously pacing just moments before, "you are home."

"Yeah," Poe drawled out. "What's up? Everything okay?"

"I, well, you see," Hux stammered.

Poe leaned against the doorway, crossing his arms and smirked, "Spit it out, buddy."

Hux glared at him. "Yes, well, it seems I've been called away suddenly and my usual cat sitter is not available. Millicent's constitution is such that leaving her in a kennel is simply out of the question. I was wondering if your offer of neighborly assistance was still open and you might be available to check in on her while I'm away?"

Poe grinned. This guy was too much. "Sure, how long will you be away?"

"A week. Maybe two. If it weren't an emergency -"

"Don't worry about it, it's fine," Poe pushed himself off the doorframe using his shoulder. "Show me where the chow's at."

Hux sneered, "Millicent doesn't eat 'chow', she dines on the finest raw food diet available. If you'll follow me, I'll show the lay of the land and go over all the instructions for her care."

Poe bit back a laugh, "Lead the way."

Forty minutes later, Poe had been shown where to find this high end raw food, how much and when to feed the cat, had been instructed on her litterbox habits and given a run down on her daily routine, including which toys she preferred to play with and when, her favorite nap spots based on where the sun was and the requisite amount of "laptime" she needed each day. Suffice to say, Millicent led a higher standard of living than Poe did and it was a bit overwhelming.

"Lastly," Hux led Poe back to the kitchen, "should anything be wrong you can find her veterinarian's number here," he referred to a piece of paper pinned to the fridge with a small magnet, "and my number is here as well should you have any questions for me. Please do keep me informed as to her wellbeing while I am away."

"Right, vet, phone, got it," Poe nodded more confidently than he felt.

"My flight leaves at 8a.m. It's international, so I'll be leaving quite early so you'll need to feed her her breakfast by 7a.m."

"Breakfast at 7. Got it."

Making their way toward the front door again, Hux handed off a small keychain to Poe. "Here's the spare key. Opens the deadbolt and the doorknob."

"Cool."

The two men stood facing each other on opposite sides of the doorway. Hux still held a purring Millicent in his arms. Poe thought he detected a slight blush in his cheeks.

"Right, well… thank you," Hux said almost shyly.

"Anytime," Poe smiled softly before making his way back across the hall. As he opened the door to his own apartment, he turned back to Hux. "Have a safe flight." He wasn't sure, but he was pretty sure he saw Hux turn another shade pinker before he turned his attention back to his own home and the papers still waiting for him to grade them.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Trigger Warning - mentions of abuse in this chapter. Nothing graphic, but there nonetheless.

UPDATE: Noticed a tiny detail somehow got deleted when I published, so I've added it back now. Props to you if you caught it.

* * *

Poe let out a deep sigh as he fumbled with the keys to Hux's apartment. It had been a long day. His buddy and colleague, Finn, had caught whatever plague was going around the school, so Poe had offered to fill in for him as coach for soccer practice after school. Boy, had that been a mistake. Finn was a good deal younger than Poe, and while Poe was in decent shape for someone pushing forty, keeping up with the Stormtroopers was a bit more than he'd bargained for that day.

Pushing through Hux's front door, Poe was greeted by a rather loud meow. "I know, girl," Poe commiserated, "me too." He lay his satchel on the entryway table and closed the door before bending down to scoop the orange tabby up. She immediately started purring and headbutted his chin. "Oof, good to see you too. Shall we see what's for dinner tonight?"

He ambled into the kitchen with the cat and opened the fridge to find Millicent's dinner. Hux had organized and labeled all Millicent's food, so Poe didn't have to think much about what to feed the cat. He grabbed the container labeled with "Tuesday. Dinner." and set it on the counter before depositing the cat onto the floor so he could prepare her food by filling a bowl with hot water and setting the container in it to warm up. It would be at least ten minutes before he could feed the dish to her.

Letting out another heavy sigh, Poe leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. "Well, how was your day?" Millicent merely blinked at him expectantly. "That good, huh?"

It had been a few days since Hux had departed so abruptly, leaving Millicent in his care. Poe made sure to follow the man's cat care instructions to a T, as he got the impression Hux would not be pleased if there were any derivation to the care his beloved cat received. It did feel a bit strange, though, to spend so much time in his neighbor's apartment sans said neighbor. Hell, Hux was practically a stranger. Still, curiosity was getting the better of Poe, and he couldn't help but wonder about the tightly wound but extremely attractive man who normally inhabited these four walls. "If these walls, could talk, eh, Mills?" he smirked at the cat before ambling into the next room.

Millicent followed Poe, occasionally rubbing her chin against his legs, as he slowly took in the surroundings. He perused the bookshelf in the living room, noticing for the first time the number of law books on the shelves. Poe wondered if the books were there because Hux simply took an interest in the topic or if it was because he actually worked in the field of law. He was more interested, though, in the other books on Hux's shelves. There were several classics, including a Complete Works of Shakespeare, several Dickens novels, a well worn copy of _The Prince _by Machievelli, as well as some children's classics like the Chronicles of Narnia. The man was certainly well read.

Feeling brave, Poe decided to push his exploration a little further, into the dining room. He was shocked to find that unlike the rest of Hux's impeccably clean and orderly apartment, this room was in a state of almost disarray. Moreover, it was clearly not used as a dining room. There was a small dining table, but it was covered with a paint-splattered tarp, an accoutrement of paints, rags, sponges and paint brushes littering the surface. There were a number of canvases around the room, some on easels, others simply leaning against the walls. They were all covered with fabric, so Poe had no idea what was on the canvases. He stepped over to one of the easels, noticing the bottom right corner peeking out from the fabric with what looked like a signature of A. Hux on it. He reached out to lift the fabric to peek at what was underneath when he was startled away by a feline paw swatting at his ankle and yowling at him angrily.

"Okay, okay, geez," Poe stepped away from the canvas with his arms raised as though he were at gunpoint. "It's private, I get it." He stepped out of the dining room and back towards the kitchen. "Let's get you fed before you try and eat me." Millicent followed him eagerly, her tail straight up and twitching. Poe fed her then settled onto the couch where Millicent joined him after she'd eaten. Poe flipped channels while Millicent purred on his lap. His attention wasn't on the TV, though, but rather on a tall, ginger man on the other side of the pond, a man who was becoming more intriguing by the minute.

* * *

Armitage was exhausted. It had been a gruelling two weeks. While there was no love lost between him and his recently departed father, he'd had to put on appearances as the dutiful son at the memorial and other associated gatherings. This was made all the more difficult by the disdain his father's wife had shown toward him. Maratelle hadn't even bothered to hide it, not that she ever had. She despised Armitage as he was a constant reminder that she could never bear children, that her husband had bedded a common kitchen wench to produce an heir.

Granted, that was never Brendol's intention. However, that didn't stop him from taking the poor woman to court to gain sole custody of the boy once he learned he was the father. As such, Armitage never really knew his mother, having been taken from her at such a young age. He only knew the pain and cruelty that was growing up in the Hux household. Brendol wanted full custody, not out of any kind of affection for Armitage, but so that he would have an heir to mold how he saw fit. He was not a kind man and Armitage suffered years of abuse at his hand. Maratelle turned a blind eye, leaving Armitage feeling ashamed and alone.

When Armitage was bullied at school, his father simply told him he needed to be tougher. So Armitage tried. It only got worse, though, as he got older. As a teenager he realised he wasn't particularly inclined toward the opposite sex. The teasing and taunting at school worsened as a result. When Brendol found out, he was particularly harsh on the boy, and to this day he never accepted his son's sexuality.

Over the years, Armitage had taken refuge in his books. When he went to uni he discovered a particular passion for art and had started to dabble in painting. His father would not allow for him to formally pursue studies in art, however, instead forcing his son into the same path to corporate law that he'd followed. Knowing he wouldn't win this argument, Armitage had reluctantly followed his father's instructions and went on to earn his degree in law.

Not looking forward to working in the same firm with his father, Armitage jumped at the chance to intern in the States for the Palpatine, Skywalker & Snoke firm his father sometimes collaborated with. Over the years, he'd risen steadily in the ranks, having proven to be quite a good lawyer.

It turned out to be a good thing he had excelled at law, as Maratelle had tried every under-handed trick in the book to undermine his inheritance. Not that Armitage was particularly attached to such inheritance, it was just the principal of the matter. In the end, since he had no intention of returning to England, he'd allowed for Maratelle to remain on the Hux properties, though he retained ownership and rights to sell when she passed or otherwise vacated the premises. As for his father's business, he agreed to sell his father's shares in the firm to his partners, Rax and Sloane, rather than take his father's place in the firm.

Now here he was, jetlagged and completely knackered, but finally home. He couldn't wait to see his Millicent in the flesh again. He was fortunate that, though he hadn't specifically asked him to, his neighbor had periodically sent him photos of Millicent. It started with just cute photos of Millicent sleeping, but as the days wore on they became increasingly silly, including selfies the man had taken with the cat. When Armitage responded asking him not to suffer his cat such indignity, it seemed to only encourage him and they became sillier and sillier. Armitage would never admit that receiving these photos in the midst of tense negotiations with his stepmother brought a smile to his face.

He was surprised to find the lights on when he opened the door, and even more surprised to find not only Millicent, but his neighbor, one Poe Dameron, asleep on his couch. Armitage froze. By some miracle he hadn't woken Millicent, who continued her slumber stretched out across Poe's broad chest.

Armitage blamed his fatigue as the reason his breath caught in his throat and his pulse quickened at the sight of Poe. In this state of rest it was easy to forget the man's more obnoxious tendencies and simply focus on the chiseled features of his face and the hints of defined muscle peeking out through the neckline of his shirt. Feeling a blush rise to his cheeks, Armitage turned away quickly toward his bedroom. In his haste, the strap of his duffle bag latched onto the lamp on his entryway table, bringing it crashing down along.

"Shit," Armitage hissed as both Poe and Millicent abruptly woke from their slumber.

"Whoa! Where's the fire?!" Poe turned wildly in the living room to locate the source of noise before spotting Hux wrestling with both his duffle bag and the lamp in the entryway. "Oh hey," he smiled lazily before making his way over. With one hand he easily grabbed the lamp and the duffle bag in the other, separating them and setting the lamp upright again.

By this time, Hux's normally pale complexion was beet red. "Sorry," he muttered, "didn't mean to wake you."

"Don't worry about it, I didn't mean to fall asleep, but this little fuzz bucket here wouldn't let me up," Poe indicated Millicent who was now circling Hux's feet, purring.

Armitage sneered at his baby girl being referred to as a fuzz bucket, but he was too tired to argue. He set his duffle back down and picked the purring cat up, giving her a kiss on her head. "Thank you. For watching her, I mean." He dug his wallet out and pulled a handful of large bills out and offered them to the other man.

Poe's eyebrows shot through the roof. "Oh hey, it was my pleasure. You don't have to pay me."

"Please, I insist."

"Well, I refuse," Poe gave Hux a cheeky grin and shoved his hands in his pockets. "This is what neighbors are for, man. We look out for each other."

"You can't be serious."

"Oh, but I am."

Hux sighed. "Look," he shoved the bills back in his wallet and slammed it down on the table, "I'm too tired to argue right now, but rest assured once I have my wits about me we will be revisiting this question of compensation for minding my Millicent."

"I'll look forward to it," Poe smiled softly. "Here," he grabbed Hux's free hand, placed the spare key he'd been using into his palm and closed his fingers around the taller man's hand. "Welcome back, Hux."

And with that he exited the apartment, leaving Armitage in a near apoplectic state at the sensation Poe's touch sent coursing up his arm.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Smatterings of strong language in this chapter.

* * *

The first time it happened, Armitage found himself in a sheer state of panic. His beloved Millicent was gone. He knew cats were particularly good at hiding, and heavens knew Millicent was a master at the art, but he knew his cat and normally he'd have found her by now.

"Millicent?" he peered beneath his bed for the twentieth time in the last hour to no avail.

His apartment was in complete disarray at this point; closets flung open, their contents strewn, every surface rifled with as Armitage continued the search for his missing cat. The only logical conclusion was that she'd gotten out somehow, so he grabbed his keys and a treat bag, ready to start prowling the streets like a lunatic, looking for his cat. Just as he was about to head out the door, there was a knock. He swung the door open to find Poe standing there with a very contented Millicent purring in his arms.

"I think this belongs to you," Poe smirked.

"Millicent," Armitage breathed out, letting the treats and his keys clatter to the floor as he reached out for his cat. Hugging her tightly to his chest, he asked, "Where did you find her?"

"It was the darnedest thing, I was tidying up for tonight when I found her curled up in my closet. No idea how long she's been there, but I must have left my door cracked open when I took the trash out or something."

Armitage frowned at the cat. "Millicent, that was very naughty, worrying me like that."

Poe chuckled, "Guess she missed hanging out with me or something." He reached out and scritched her chin.

"Yes, well, thank you for bringing her back."

"No problem." He started to turn before turning back, "Say, did you want to join us tonight? I'm having some friends over, nothing fancy. Just pizza and beers, maybe some board games."

"Oh, um," Armitage wasn't sure how to respond, "I- thank you, but I'd better not."

"Why not? The more the merrier."

"Er, well," Armitage took a deep breath and stood up straighter. "It's just, I'm not exactly personable am I? People don't really like me."

"I'm people. I like you," Poe smiled.

Armitage blushed. "Er, I, well, thank you," he stammered, "nevertheless I just think, I think your friends would be more comfortable if I, er, weren't there."

"Hey," Poe clapped a hand on Hux's shoulder, "don't worry about it. Just know, you're welcome any time."

Armitage gulped. "Thank you."

"Right, well," Poe gave a little salute. "Catcha later, Hux. Millicent."

Later that night, as he read his book, Armitage could hear the sounds of joviality coming from across the hall. For once he wasn't annoyed by it. Instead, he just felt lonely.

* * *

The second time it happened, Armitage wasn't even home. He'd gone out for a run. Upon his return, he found Poe in the hallway holding Millicent.

"Hey," Poe smiled down at him from atop the stairs. "Raining?"

Armitage shook some water droplets from his hair. "What gave it away?" he huffed. "Why do you have my cat?"

"She wandered over again. Found her in my sock drawer this time."

"Millicent, it's rude to force your way into strange men's drawers," he scolded the tabby. He hesitated to pick her up out of Poe's arms in his sweaty, rain-soaked state. "I'm disgusting right now, I can't possibly… follow me?" he shifted his gaze to Poe's eyes.

"Sure," Poe nodded.

Armitage unlocked his door, leaving it open behind him to allow Poe in. "How long were you waiting?" he asked from the bathroom where he grabbed a towel to pat himself dry before making his way back out to the living room.

"Not long," Poe deposited the cat on her carpeted tower. "Your door was locked, so we just kind of chilled."

Armitage made his way into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. "I can't fathom how she got out again. I'm quite diligent with the door and she's never tried to get out before."

"Guess she just finds me irresistable." Poe grinned from the kitchen doorway.

"Indeed."

"What can I say, I have that effect on people."

"Do you now?" Armitage's left eyebrow quirked up.

Poe simply smirked. A silence fell on the pair of them. Feeling unnerved by the way Poe was looking at him, Armitage turned away under the pretense of pouring himself some more water.

"I never asked you how your trip went," Poe spoke. "You mentioned it was an emergency. Is everything okay now?"

Armitage took a deep breath. In his experience, revealing anything personal simply turned that information into material others could use to manipulate him. Dare he share anything personal with this man he hardly knew? When Armitage turned back around to face Poe, all he could see was trust and kindness in the other man's eyes. Gulping, he steeled himself, before speaking.

"My father passed away. I had to deal with the aftermath," his voice was clipped.

"Oh, dude, I'm sorry," Poe's posture softened.

"Don't be. My father was a tosser and the world is better off without him," Armitage surprised himself at the level of anger he heard come from his mouth.

Poe's eyes widened. "Oh, well… I'm still sorry. Losing a parent is never easy."

"And you would know?" Armitage sneered. He could feel his defences going up.

"Yeah," Poe shoved his hands in his pockets. "My mom died when I was eight. My dad and I are still close, but I dunno, it's definitely had an effect on me."

Armitage turned bright red and mumbled, "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Poe smiled at him. "Well anyway, I'm probably keeping you from whatever it is you were going to do. I'll leave you to it."

Armitage simply nodded.

"But Hux," he turned, "if you ever want to talk about… anything, you know where to find me."

"Right," Armitage remained glued to the kitchen counter at his back until he heard his front door click shut after Poe. This was certainly not the turn he expected his morning to take.

* * *

The third time it happened, Armitage just knew where she was. He'd been avoiding Poe since their last encounter, so he cursed his bad luck that his cat had become obsessed with his neighbor.

He knocked on the door across the hall. A few moments later, Poe came to the door. "Heya, Hux," he smiled. "What's shakin'?"

"Where's my cat?"

"Again?" At Hux's nod, he opened the door wider. "Well I haven't seen her, but come on in and have a look."

When Armitage stepped into the apartment, it hit him that he was treading into unfamiliar territory. He'd never been inside Poe's apartment, having only seen the little bit of the entryway those times he stood at his front door. The other man's apartment was less orderly than his own, but it only contributed to the coziness of the space. The walls and surfaces were adorned with framed photographs, presumably of friends and family. The living room walls were painted a dark navy color, but the darkness only made the space feel more comfortable, like you could curl up and fall asleep easily in there.

After a few minutes of searching, Armitage spotted her sleeping under the kitchen table on some folders stacked there.

"Ah ha!" Armitage called in triumph. "There you are, young lady."

"You found her?" Poe came back down the hall from his bedroom where he'd been searching.

Armitage picked the cat up, rousing her from her slumber, and stood up. "She was sleeping on… is that homework?"

"That's the homework I've already graded." Poe gestured to the stack of folders on top of the table. "That's the homework I've yet to grade."

"You're a teacher." It wasn't so much a question as a statement.

Poe nodded. "American history. Or rather American propaganda. The school board keeps a pretty tight reign on what we can and can't teach. But I try to sneak some rebels and rabble-rousers here and there where I can."

Armitage narrowed his eyes, "Why do I get the feeling you're one such rabble-rouser yourself?"

Poe chuckled. "Guilty. Probably why I'm so passionate about teaching these kids the truth about their history. But I try to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Lead by example and all that."

"I see," Armitage in fact did not see. All his life he'd only associated with the upper echelons of society; needless to say none of them had any issues with the status quo.

"What about you?" Poe asked. "You clearly don't teach, not with those sharp suits you're always wearing."

"I'm a Senior Associate for the law firm, Palpatine, Skywalker & Snoke."

"Oh shit, really?" Poe breathed out a laugh. "That practically makes you the enemy."

Armitage bristled at that statement. "The enemy?"

"I just mean… you know you guys are representing some pretty dastardly clients, right?"

"Attorney-client privilege prevents me from confirming that."

Poe rolled his eyes. "Whatever, you have some pretty high profile clients, and it's all over the news that you rep them. I mean, First Order Inc.? They're buying out all the affordable housing in the city, then sitting on it till they can turn them into high end condos to sell to the highest bidder. Then those same rich fucks wonder why we have a housing crisis on our hands!"

"I should go," Armitage turned bruskly toward the door.

"Wait, Hux," Poe wheeled around to stop the other man's stride. "I'm sorry, I just feel really strongly about this. I don't think you personally are the enemy."

"Yes, well-"

"Do you like it?" Poe asked. At Hux's confused expression he continued, "Do you like what your job? Do you like what you do?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"If you like it, fine, but if you don't, why do it?" When Poe was met with silence he pressed on. "If you could do anything else, what would it be?"

_Paint, _Armitage's mind immediately went to his paintings, but he dared not voice that. "It doesn't matter what I want," he pushed past Poe.

"Of course it matters what you want!" Poe stopped him by placing his hand against Hux's chest. "Of course it matters," he said more softly. "Look, just come to one of our Indivisible meetings. Hear what people have to say. I host some of them here, so it wouldn't even be out of the way for you."

"I've got to go." Armitage roughly shouldered past the shorter man before storming across the hall and slamming the door behind him, leaving Poe standing there wondering what the hell just happened.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to this! Work has been crazy.

* * *

Things with Hux had been awkward since that day. Poe genuinely felt bad for upsetting Hux, though he failed to understand exactly why the other man had reacted as strongly as he did to Poe's words. He just wanted to...what? Get to know him? Help him?

There was no denying Poe was attracted to his neighbor, and the attraction just kept getting stronger with each passing day. At first he thought it was simply a desire to get under his skin, ruffle his feathers a bit. Lord knew Hux could stand to loosen up a bit. But with every encounter they had, the more Poe found himself fascinated by him. Under Hux's facade of control, he had glimpsed vulnerability.

Ever since that day, though, Hux had reinforced the walls he'd built around himself. When Poe greeted him in the hallway, at most he got a curt nod in return. Millicent had made her way over to Poe's a few more times since then. Hux brushed off Poe's attempts at joviality as they'd search for her, but once he had the ginger cat back in his arms he'd coolly thank his neighbor before rushing back to his own apartment and slamming the door.

When all was said and done, Poe was feeling pretty glum, and his friends were taking notice. They'd gathered at his apartment again to prep for that weekend's protest. He was half-heartedly sorting the leaflets they'd be passing out while his friends Finn and Rey worked on the posters.

"Poe!" Rey practically screamed at him.

Poe started, "What?"

"Have you been listening to anything we've been saying?" the British girl was clearly exasperated.

"Yeah. Sure."

"So what do you think?"

"Um…"

"What is up with you?!"

"Seriously, dude," Finn chimed in. "You're normally the one most amped up about these protests. What gives?"

Poe sighed, "It's nothing."

Rey's eyes narrowed. "That's not nothing. You're acting like… you're acting almost like you did after you and Zorii broke up."

Finn cocked his head. "She's right. But you haven't been seeing anyone, have you? You'd have told us."

Poe rolled his eyes. "I'm not seeing anyone."

"But you want to be," Rey observed, "and they're not interested."

"I don't know if he's interested or not. He's not exactly easy to read," Poe shifted uncomfortably.

"Ah ha so it's a he," Rey smiled slyly. "Now who could he possibly be?"

The door opened. "Hey guys," Rose greeted as she shed her coat. "Sorry I'm late, but I brought cookies."

"Yes!" Finn shot up, wasting no time in grabbing the cookie tin from Rose. "Rose, you're the best," he praised as he half-hugged her with one arm before digging into the cookies.

Rose blushed. "So what'd I miss?"

"We've just been trying to guess who it is Poe's set his sights on lately. Seems he fancies a bloke, but hasn't said a thing to us about it," Rey informed the newest addition to their group.

"And to think, we thought we were his friends," Finn mocked through a mouthful of cookies. "Friends tell each other these things."

Poe rubbed his temples. "Look, guys, there's nothing to tell."

There was a knock at the door. The group of friends looked around at each other.

"Are we expecting anyone else?" Finn asked.

Poe went to answer the door. It was Hux. He sighed and braced himself before opening the door.

"Hey Hux," he smiled weakly.

"I'm afraid she's at it again," the red-haired man clipped.

Poe's brow furrowed. "Really? I can usually tell when she's wandered over now and I haven't seen her."

Worry flickered in Hux's eyes. "I… well can we check? Just in case. She's not anywhere in my apartment that I can tell."

"Yeah, of course," Poe stepped back so the other man could enter his apartment.

"Oh," Hux stiffened. "You have company. I can come back later."

"No, no it's fine. Guys, this is my neighbor, Hux. His cat sometimes wanders over here so we're just going to look for her real quick." He pointed out his friends. "Hux, this is Finn, Rey and Rose."

Hux felt extremely uncomfortable. "I'm sorry to have disturbed your evening."

"Don't worry about it," Finn waved it off.

"Come on, let's go find Millicent," Poe clapped Hux on the shoulder. "We'll be right back," he said to his guests before he and Hux wandered down the hall to Millicent's favorite hiding spots.

Poe's three friends craned their necks to watch the two men walk down the hall until they were out of view.

"Oh my god," Rey whispered loudly. "That's him!"

* * *

Well that had been embarrassing. Sure enough, they'd found Millicent in Poe's closet again, curled up in his motorcycle helmet of all things, but Armitage hadn't expected his neighbors friends to descend upon him. When he and Poe returned with Millicent in his arms, the women had cooed over his girl, asking all sorts of inane questions. How old was she? Eight. Where did he get her? He'd adopted her from the humane society six years ago. Does she like tuna? Of course she bloody likes tuna, she's a cat.

Millicent, the traitor, had purred through it all, soaking in the attention from her adoring fans, while Poe poorly hid a smirk at his discomfort. The other man, Finn, he seemed to recall, invited him to stay. He politely declined, his eyes darting quickly to Poe to gauge his reaction to this invite. For once the other man was unreadable.

Armitage eventually made his way out, after having had a home-baked cookie foisted on him by the small Asian girl and offering the group a reluctant promise to hang out sometime. Once the door closed behind him, he stood in the hallway for a second, a bit shell-shocked.

"What the hell was that?" he muttered.

Just as he reached his own door, his neighbor's door opened again.

"Hey," Poe called quietly, shutting the door behind him. "Sorry about that. They mean well, they just… get overly excited about new people I guess."

Armitage quirked an eyebrow. "Imagine that. You. Friends with overly excited people. I'm shocked." The sarcasm practically dripped from his tongue to the floor.

Poe rolled his eyes before focusing his gaze on Hux again. For a moment, he seemed nervous. He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Look, I really am sorry about the other day. I was out of line, I shouldn't have made assumptions about your life or your career."

"It's forgotten," Hux stated quickly. Too quickly.

"Really? 'Cause you've been avoiding me for days, except where Millie's concerned."

"Millicent," Hux corrected.

"Millicent then." Poe rolled his eyes again. "You know what I mean. I thought… I thought we were maybe becoming friends."

A lump formed in Armitage's throat. Friends. He didn't have many friends. He could count on one hand the number of people throughout his life that he'd trusted enough to call friends.

When Poe received no answer, he sighed. "Right, well, good night," he walked back to his apartment. Just as he was about to close the door, Armitage spoke.

"Armitage."

Poe froze and turned slightly in his doorway.

"My friends call me Armitage."

Poe just gave him that dazzling smile of his, "Alrighty then. Armitage."


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Sorry it's taken so long to update! You'd think I'd have time during Shelter in Place, but work is amazingly just as busy from my home office as it is in "real life."

Warnings: Lots of language. Brief mentions of child abuse.

* * *

In the following days, the tension between Armitage and his neighbor eased somewhat. He no longer ignored Poe when they passed in the hallways and when Millicent went on her little adventures across the hall, he would stay to chat a bit before returning home. There was no denying he was fond of his neighbor. Somehow Poe had started to tear down the walls Armitage had built around himself. It was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.

Unfortunately, Poe had no bearing on Armitage's work life. The last week had been hell. The firm had acquired a huge caseload, and while Armitage did his best to delegate to the junior associates, it still meant lots of late nights in the office. It was late Friday night when he finally decided he had gotten to a point in his work where he wouldn't be obsessing about it over the weekend. Upon returning home he could hear Poe and his friends next door having a grand old time doing lord knows what. As he approached his floor, Poe exited his apartment.

"I'll be right back, guys. Just gonna take this out real quick," he was wielding a full trash bag for the chute. "Hux! Hey!" he smiled widely upon seeing his neighbor.

All Armitage could manage was a tired, "Hello."

"Whoa, you okay there, buddy?" he tossed the bag down the chute, his face etched with concern.

"Just a long day at work," Armitage sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"Oof, been there," he ambled closer to Armitage. Armitage could smell the beer on his neighbor's breath. "Well, are you hungry? We've still got tons of Chinese food and beer."

Armitage was usually quite finicky about his food, opting for a healthier diet, but right now in this moment, he was too tired to care. "That actually sounds amazing," he tried to ignore how pitiful he sounded when he said that. "I'll just feed Millicent and pop back over?"

"Sure thing, door's open," Poe grinned before heading back into his apartment.

Millicent was quite incensed at the tardiness of her dinner. It wasn't the first time this week, and Armitage apologized profusely as he prepped her food. While it warmed up, he changed out of his suite into a crisp pair of jeans and a snug sweater. Once Millicent was fed and settled in for a post-dinner nap, Armitage made his way across the hall.

He hesitated at the door. Poe had said it was unlocked but should he still knock? Should he just walk in? Armitage was pants at dealing with casual, everyday social situations. In the end he decided to knock, but when he got no response, undoubtedly due to no one hearing the knock over the ruckus inside the apartment, he decided to just walk in.

"Hux!" the British girl exclaimed, clearly inebriated. "You came!" Hux waved awkwardly, trying to remember her name.

The others greeted him and welcomed him into their circle. Next thing he knew he'd been ushered into the kitchen by Poe, practically forcing food and beer onto him before returning to the living room with the others. So here he was. Squeezed between the arm of the sofa and the quiet Asian girl, balancing a plate of Chinese food and a beer.

Armitage observed that their evening had clearly started with some kind of political action, based on the pamphlets, fliers and posters strewn about, but had clearly devolved into frivolity. While he ate he watched as they played some board game he did not recognize. Once he'd finished eating, he'd reluctantly been pulled into the game, but had to admit it was actually quite fun.

He couldn't help but steal glances at Poe throughout the evening. The man was really in his element here. It came as no surprise to Armitage that Poe had such a solid group of friends. He was the type of person people gravitated toward. He was open and generous and kind. Armitage felt a warm swelling in his chest. Surely it was just a buzz from the beer.

He must have been staring because all of a sudden Poe made eye contact and grinned at him. Armitage's heart stopped for a second. He was sure his face had turned beet red. He was ready to bolt from the room when Poe released eye contact, turning his attention back to the group at large. Armitage released the breath he didn't realise he was holding.

Several beers later, it was time to call it a night. Armitage helped Poe pour his drunk friends into a taxi to get home then walked back upstairs together. As they approached their landing, Armitage suddenly felt awkward.

"Well. Thank you for tonight," he said. "It was much appreciated after the week I had."

"Anytime, man. I'd ask if you want to talk about it, but if I'm being honest, I'm exhausted."

Armitage huffed out a laugh, "Oh, me too. And I don't. Want to talk about it, I mean. Just work stuff."

"Say no more, I totally understand," Poe chuckled.

"Well, thanks again," Armitage unlocked his door. "Good night."

"Night, Armitage."

* * *

And thus began Armitage's awkward foray into having a social life. At least once a week he found himself hanging out with the group in Poe's apartment. He'd even been roped into a few of their Indivisible meetings. He was frankly indifferent to their little cause, but would still find himself engaging the group, mostly to play devil's advocate and point out the holes in their plans. Rey and Finn would argue with him, and Rose would accuse him of being negative. But more often than not, Poe would just smirk at him, letting the debate go on for a bit before interrupting to declare both sides had good points and incorporating some of Armitage's suggestions into their plans.

It was after one such meeting that Armitage took note that the group had left Poe's apartment in a state of total disarray.

"Here, let me help you clean up," he grabbed some of the plates left on the coffee table and followed Poe into his kitchen.

"Thanks, man."

Together they silently fell into a rhythm. Poe packed away the leftovers into the fridge while Armitage started filling the sinks to wash the dishes.

"Oh, you don't have to do that. Just leave them," Poe rushed over to the sink to take over dish duty.

"Nonsense. It's the least I could do. Besides," he continued, "I've seen both our places and rest assured, these dishes have probably never been so clean as they will be when I'm through with them." The statement was haughty, but he made sure to make it clear he was teasing.

Seeing the twinkle in his neighbor's eye, Poe guffawed. "Fine, but I'm drying."

"If you insist." Once they got their washing and drying rhythm down, Armitage noted, "They're rather naive, aren't they? Your friends I mean."

Poe shrugged. "They're young. But don't worry. One day they'll be old and wise like us."

"Speak for yourself. I for one am in the prime of my life."

Poe laughed again. Armitage really liked the sound of it. He wanted to hear more of it.

"Alright, fine. You're in the prime of your life, it's just me who's old and wise."

"Your words, not mine," Armitage smirked.

"Just because they're naive doesn't mean they're wrong, though. I mean, sure, sometimes they don't look at things from all angles, but that comes from experience. I mean, I clearly support the same causes they do. Can you blame me?"

"If I'm being honest, I just don't get it all. Certain things, sure. Bigotry and misogyny are obviously bad. Lord knows I've caught the brunt of more than a few homophobic attacks myself, but all this business about corporations being the root of all evil? Whatever happened to people working hard and, what is it you Americans say? Pulling themselves up by their bootstraps?"

Poe paused. "Can I ask something? And I don't mean to pry, I'm just honestly trying to understand… Did you grow up in a wealthy family?"

"Well, I suppose so, yes. I never wanted for anything material, but we weren't nobility rich. My father may have been an evil prick, but he worked hard to build his empire from the ground up."

"I guess that's maybe why you don't get it. See, my parents worked hard too. Mom was a pilot in the airforce, dad was a cop. We were comfortable enough, but definitely lived paycheck to paycheck. When mom died, her pension helped some, but dad would volunteer to take extra shifts whenever he could. I started working as soon as I could to help out. Mowing neighbor's lawns, delivering newspapers, babysitting, anything. But even with the struggle to make ends meet, we were good, ya know? I'm still privileged to a degree, but I know there are those who have it so much worse. They don't have options or opportunities. That's why I do this. I do it for them."

Armitage felt equal parts shame for what he'd said and awe at the man standing next to him. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't know," Poe grinned, trying to break the tension. "How can you know something you don't know?"

"Well, all the same, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I've got no complaints, I've had a good life. We might not have had a bunch of fancy cars but we had each other and that's really all we needed at the end of the day. You know how it is."

Armitage silently returned to his dish washing. He honestly didn't know how it is. He never knew his mother, his father abused him, and his step-mother barely tolerated him. He'd been an outcast at school, making very few friends. Even now he had few friends, and he wouldn't call any of them close.

"Armitage? Hux? You okay?" Poe interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes, fine."

"You sure? Seemed like you went somewhere else there for a minute."

"It's nothing, I assure you." He'd just finished the last of the dishes so proceeded to drain the sinks and dry off his hands. "Well, if everything is in order, I'll be going."

Poe was eyeing him suspiciously, but must have decided to drop it. "Sure, Hux. I've got it from here."

* * *

"Oh come on!" a distinctly feminine voice hollered from the hallway. She pounded on the door again. "Hello? Poe!"

"I do believe he's out," his neighbor drawled from his own doorway.

"Bloody hell," Rey cursed. "He knew I was going to come over at 3:00 and now it's," she glanced at her watch, "3:15! I swear that man has no concept of time. Do you know when he left?"

Armitage was mildly amused by his new acquaintance's display of temper. "How should I know? I'm not his keeper." She sighed in response. "Well, if he was expecting you, one should assume he'll be back soon. Would like a cuppa in the meantime?"

"Only if I get to see Millicent."

He barked out a laugh. "Of course, though I make no guarantees as to her receptiveness to visitors." He extended his arm to welcome her into his abode.

Naturally, Rey found Millicent in a matter of seconds. The ginger cat was lounging on her cat tree and seemed to be tolerating Rey's attention while Armitage put the kettle on.

Once the tea was prepared, he returned to the living room with two mugs of tea, handing one to Rey, who had made herself comfortable on his couch. She was clearly leaving a voicemail for Poe as he approached.

"...fortunately, Hux has taken pity on me, but that doesn't mean you're off the hook, you wanker. This is Rey by the way. If I don't see you within the hour I'm calling for a search party. Piss off."

Armitage quirked an eyebrow. "If that's how you talk to your friends, I'd hate to see how you treat your enemies."

Rey smiled brightly. "You have no idea."

They sipped their tea in silence for a moment. Millicent was still grooming herself, presumably to wash off Rey's touch. She was a very finicky cat, obsessed with cleanliness. It was part of what had drawn him to her.

"He likes you, you know," Rey interrupted his thoughts.

"Pardon?"

"Poe. He likes you. Like, _likes you_, likes you," she waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Don't be ridiculous," he muttered into his mug. He could feel his cheeks grow warm and cursed his complexion for making his feelings so obvious.

Rey chuckled. "Oh come on. It's pretty obvious the way he flirts with you."

"He does not _flirt _with me," Armitage scoffed.

"Oh my god, he soooo does! How can you not see it?" Rey was practically cackling with mirth.

"Poe is an extraordinary man," he bit out firmly. "He is unwaveringly kind and generous to everyone he meets. If it seems he's overly friendly to me, well…there's no reason for that, is there. I'm not exactly a good person. You're seeing something that's not there. There is no logical reason someone like him would want," his breath hitched, "would want someone like me."

Rey seriously considered him. "You really think that, don't you?" she asked softly.

Armitage turned his gaze on her. For once, she wasn't smiling or joking. She seemed sad. "I don't need your pity," he snarled, slamming his mug on the coffee table and standing up. Rey's eyes widened. Before anything else could happen, there was a knock on the door.

They both froze until Armitage grumbled, "I'll get it." When he opened the door, he was faced with the object of their conversation.

"Hey," Poe huffed, clearly out of breath. "Is Rey still here?" Armitage silently opened the door wider to reveal Rey behind him in the living room. As if sensing the tension in the room, Poe's brow furrowed. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah!" Rey lied easily. "We were just waxing nostalgic for life across the pond and you startled us."

"Right," Poe wasn't entirely convinced. "Sorry I'm late. You ready to go over those plans?"

"I've been ready for over an hour," Rey rolled her eyes, grabbed her things and stalked out into the hallway.

"Sorry," he apologized again, tossing her his keys. She let herself into his apartment. He turned back to Armitage. "Thanks for taking care of her. I know she can be a bit much sometimes."

"Because you're not," Armitage teased.

Poe chuckled. "Never said I wasn't."

"Dameron! Get your arse in here!" Rey bellowed from his apartment.

"Well, that's my cue," Poe winked and scrambled across the hall at his friend's behest.

Armitage closed his door and let out a breath.

"Mrowr?"

He looked down to see Millicent gazing up at him in that knowing way of hers. He scooped her up, burying his face in her fur. As they settled into the couch together, Armitage blinked back unshed tears.

He'd been trying so hard to resist the growing feelings he had for his neighbor. That stupid bint had just rubbed salt in the wound. Why had she said it? He knew it was a mistake to try and make friends. They were all clearly taking the piss out of him behind his back. Rey was just bold enough to do it to his face.

There was no way Poe was interested in him in that way. Poe was a genuinely good person, one of the only Armitage had ever met, and he was gorgeous too. When Armitage looked in the mirror, he knew he didn't even compare. Too pale. Too ginger. Too skinny. "Thin as a slip of paper and just as useless," he heard his father's voice in his head.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but next thing he knew, Millicent's fur was soaked with his tears. His darling cat didn't seem to mind though. She simply purred as he held her.

"Oh Millie," he kissed the top of her head. "At least we have each other. I don't know what I'd do without you."

* * *

A/N: Before anyone gets all up in arms, I just want to go on the record to say, I do not think Rey is a stupid bint. Neither does Hux, really, he's just angry and confused so he's lashing out. This chapter got a bit heavier than I'd intended, but the characters kind of took over and forced me to write it. More angst ahead, but rest assured, there will be a happy ending!


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Upping the ante to an M rating just in case.

Trigger Warnings - violence, implied non-con, PTSD, implied abuse

* * *

"What did you do to him?!" Poe practically shouted in lieu of a greeting upon entering his friend's apartment.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to be more specific than that," Rey calmly closed the door.

"Arm- Hux. What did you do to Hux? Ever since last Saturday he's been avoiding me like the plague. Or hadn't you noticed he's stopped coming over."

Rey shrugged, "He doesn't join us all the time. I figured he was busy."

"Okay, point in your favor," Poe pursed his lips. "But that doesn't explain why he's suddenly stopped talking to me. I try to say hi in the hallway and he fucking ignores me. He won't answer the door when I knock. Even Millicent hasn't snuck over to my place in days." He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I thought we were making progress. I thought he…" Poe sighed, "I thought he liked me."

"Look," Rey began, "I'm not entirely sure what happened. I guess I was teasing him, like I do, you know. I may have… mentioned you were into him and he kind of freaked out."

"You what?!" Poe's olive complexion suddenly grew pale. "Oh god," he groaned, flopping on her couch, his head between his hands. "No wonder he won't talk to me. He doesn't know how to let me down easy so he's just… stopped communicating. Well, I guess I should be thankful he doesn't want to risk leading me on. Just cut the cord."

"Are you insane?" Rey hissed. "He didn't freak out because he's not interested, you twit. He freaked out because he seems to think he doesn't deserve your attention."

"What do you mean?"

"I _mean_," she sat next to her distraught friend and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, "I'm pretty sure he thinks the sun shines out your arse. But for some reason he feels, I dunno, unworthy of you."

"That's ridiculous," his brow furrowed. "I mean he's not perfect, but neither am I, no one is. Lord knows he has some interesting ideas about how the world works, but that's probably just cuz of his background. And sure, it takes him awhile to warm up to people, but once he does he's pretty amazing. Smart as a whip, and funny too. Then there's his smile…" Poe was grinning by the end of his ramblings.

"Oh my god," Rey's eyes were the size of saucers. "You're in love with him."

"What? No," Poe shifted uncomfortably. "He's just… cute is all."

"Right, whatever, lover boy. Look, maybe if I talk to him, smooth things over -"

"No, I'll talk to him. If he'll let me."

"You're a persistent bastard," Rey patted his knee. "If anyone can get him to come around, it's you."

"Thanks," Poe smirked. "Alright, let's put this text-a-thon together."

* * *

After working with Rey for several hours, Poe returned home with a new optimism. Maybe she was right. Maybe Armitage returned his affections. He wasn't blind. He'd caught the way his neighbor watched him when he didn't think Poe was looking; but he ran so hot and cold it was impossible to get a read on the guy.

He bound up the steps, anxious to see Armitage. As he approached the landing, he noticed his neighbor's door was ajar, and heard what sounded like an argument come from within.

"Aww, come on, Armie, you know you want it," a deep, obviously male voice taunted.

"I've asked you not to call me that," Armitage hissed. There was a rustle of movement. "No, stay away from me."

Poe heard the panic in his voice. They'd moved away from the door, making it harder for Poe to catch their words. Should he intervene? When he heard glass shatter, the decision was made for him. He slammed the door open. Armitage was backed into a corner by the other man, a wet spot on the wall barely a foot from his head where the glass had clearly impacted.

"What the hell is going on here?!" he yelled, bursting into the apartment.

The other man turned, anger radiating off of him. Poe gulped. The guy was a tank. There was no way Poe'd be able to take him in a fight. His eyes darted over to Armitage, who'd slid down the wall. Didn't matter. He'd take a beating if he had to, if it meant he kept this guy away from Armitage. With all the bravado he could muster he faced down the tank.

"Am I gonna have to call the cops?" he threatened.

"Who are you, his boyfriend?" the tank sneered.

"Yeah," Poe didn't even hesitate with the lie. "And you are?"

The tank clearly hadn't expected that answer, but recovered quickly. "The competition," he smirked.

"No competition here, buddy. Now you have ten seconds to get the hell out of here before I call the cops."

The tank scanned Poe from head to toe, as if calculating his options. Finally he called behind him, "Looks like you're off the hook for now, Armie. But know this isn't over." He stalked out of the apartment, roughly shouldering Poe into the doorframe before descending the stairs.

Poe released a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. His knuckles were white, gripped around his phone, ready to dial 911. "Fuck," he ran a shaky hand through his hair before fully entering the apartment, closing the door and locking it behind him. "You okay, man?" he called behind him. When he didn't get an answer, he walked around the sofa to find the other man still on the floor, muttering to himself, picking up the shards of glass with his bare hands. "Whoa, hey," he quickly slid down to the floor with him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, it was an accident," Armitage muttered over and over again, tears streaming down his cheeks, just as the liquid that had spilled on the floor became tinged with pink, the glass cutting into his palms.

"Hey, hey," Poe said softly, gently grabbing Hux's wrists. "Stop, stop." Getting no response, he continued. "Hux, come on. Hux. _Armitage._"

Using the man's given name seemed to catch his attention. He stopped his movements, and looked up, his sea foam green eyes catching Poe's warm brown eyes.

"I'm sorry,' he whispered.

Poe shook his head, "You have nothing to be sorry for. Come on," still holding his wrists, Poe gently guided Hux up from the floor, "let's take care of you."

He led Armitage over to the sofa. He managed to get him to relinquish the bits of glass he'd gathered into a pile on the coffee table, wincing as he saw the tiny cuts and shards embedded into his skin.

"Where's your first aid kit?" When he didn't get an answer right away, he looked up only to see the other man with a blank stare on his face. "Hux? Armitage?" That got him to turn his head toward Poe, but the blank expression didn't change. "Look, I'll get mine. You… you just stay here, okay?" When he stood, Armitage grasped the corner of his sleeve, the blank stare turning somewhat desperate. "It's okay," he rubbed his shoulder gently. "I'll be right back. I'm just going to grab some stuff so I can take care of that, okay?" Poe nodded towards his injured hands.

Armitage nodded hesitantly and released his sleeve. Poe hurried across the hall, grabbed his first aid kit from the bathroom then practically ran back across the hall. He didn't think the tank would be coming back so soon, but he couldn't be sure.

After he'd locked the door behind him, he turned and noticed Millicent slinking out of the bedroom, a spooked look in her eye. "Hey girl," he smiled gently, squatting down to her and letting her sniff his hand. "It's okay now." Still spooked she dashed over to her cat tree and hid in the carpeted tunnel at its base.

Walking back over to the couch, he saw Armitage hadn't moved since he left. He was practically catatonic. Poe wasn't sure which to be more worried about, his physical injuries, or his state of mind. He set the first aid kit down on the coffee table, opening it before walking back into the kitchen to wash his hands. When he returned, he sat next to him on the sofa..

"May I?" He indicated that he wanted to tend to the wounds. When he got no response, he gently took the other man's right hand, carefully opening it so he could inspect the damage. Before he could clean the wounds, he would have to remove the bits of glass remaining. He grabbed the tweezers from the kit and, as gently as possible, began picking out the glass. When he'd finished the right hand, he moved on to the other hand, all the while with Armitage staring off into space.

After he'd gotten all the glass, he grabbed a gauze pad, pouring some disinfectant onto it. "Now this may sting," he warned. He dabbed the disinfectant onto the wounds, cleaning the blood up as best as possible. Once his hands weren't covered in blood, Poe inspected the gashes. "You're lucky. Doesn't look like any of these are too deep. You shouldn't need stitches." Armitage barely nodded his acknowledgement.

Poe proceeded in bandaging his hands, placing a gauze pad in each palm, then wrapping gauze around his hands to keep it in place. "The bleeding should stop soon, so you can probably take these off and be fine tomorrow. But I wouldn't recommend cutting any lemons for awhile."

"Thanks," Armitage whispered. It seemed he'd finally come out of his catatonic state, but now he just looked exhausted.

"Hey, why don't we get you to bed. You look exhausted." He stood up offering a hand to his neighbor. Armitage nodded and took his hand without preamble. As they made their way down the hall, Poe noticed Millicent following them.

Once in the bedroom, Poe turned down the sheets and helped Armitage get settled. The other man was already dressed in sweats. Poe wasn't sure if that was what he usually slept in, but they seemed comfortable enough so he didn't push for him to change.

"Okay, well… goodnight," he turned toward the door once he had tucked Hux in.

Again, the other man grabbed his sleeve before he could go. "Wait…" he whispered. Poe felt his heart leap into his throat. "Stay. Please," Armitage whispered. "I - I don't want to be alone. I'm always alone… after."

And just like that, Poe felt his heart break for the other man. "Yeah. Of course." He stepped closer to the bed again. Armitage relaxed visibly, releasing his grip and lying back down.

It took every fiber of Poe's being not to reach out and brush the fringe of ginger hair that fell across his forehead and kiss his tear stained face. But based on everything he'd seen tonight, he knew Armitage was vulnerable right now, and he felt he'd just be taking advantage of him if he did that. That was the last thing the other man needed right now - someone else taking advantage of him the way the tank had clearly been trying earlier.

Paying no mind to the fact he was still wearing jeans, Poe kicked off his shoes and lay on top of the covers on the bed, careful to keep a respectful distance between himself and Armitage. Millicent picked that moment to hop on the bed, first sashaying up the length of the bed between Poe and her owner. She sniffed Poe and gave him an affectionate headbutt to the forehead before hopping over the redhead's form, purring as she curled into him. He curled around her, his back to Poe.

It was a few minutes later Poe heard the distinct sound of a sniffle and noticed that Hux's shoulders were shaking. He reached out, gently rubbing Hux's arm. At first he shook harder, but eventually his tears subsided and his breathing evened out. Once Poe was sure the other man was asleep, he sighed and rolled onto his back. Should he go now? Would Armitage still want him there in the morning? Would he feel abandoned if Poe left? Would he be able to sleep in his own apartment, worrying what would happen if the tank came back and Poe wasn't there?

Well that clinched it. Poe wasn't going anywhere. He'd stay if that meant Armitage was safe. He let his eyes droop closed, falling asleep quickly.

* * *

When Poe woke up the next morning he was warm… no, hot. Practically burning up. He moved to throw the covers off himself, but stopped when he felt something tickle his nose. He cracked an eye open. That's when he realised it wasn't the covers keeping him warm. Armitage had practically wrapped himself around Poe while they slept. He had his arm and leg hooked around Poe's torso, and his head had settled in the crook of his neck, some of the man's ginger hair splaying up onto his face. To make matters worse, Millicent had settled herself onto Poe's legs, ensuring his entire body was lit like a furnace.

Poe sighed. He'd always run warm, which is why he usually just wore boxers to bed, so being fully clothed with two warm-blooded beings on top of him was a bit too much for him to handle. Still, he didn't want to wake Armitage. He'd never been this close to Armitage, not even last night when he'd cautiously cared for him like a wounded animal. In fact last night he'd made sure to keep a certain distance so as not to spook him.

Poe tipped his nose down, inhaling the other man's scent. It was clean and crisp, much like the man himself, with a hint of citrus; masculine but sweet. He found it intoxicating. Biting back a groan, he shifted, turning his gaze to the arm draped across his chest. There was no denying Armitage was skinny. Despite his height, Poe wouldn't be surprised if he outweighed the ginger. Still, that didn't mean the other man wasn't strong. There was clearly defined, lean muscle in his forearm and bicep.

He bit his lip to resist the urge to stroke his hand along said forearm, and it was good that he did, as Armitage picked that moment to wake up. The other man's body tensed before practically shooting across the bed away from Poe, hissing, "Shit." The movement upset Millicent, who grumpily hopped off Poe's lap, onto the floor, shaking herself before deciding to groom herself. Finally being freed, Poe leaned up on his elbows.

"I am… so sorry," Armitage muttered from where he sat on the edge of the bed. He was turned away from Poe, but if the tips of his ears were any indication, his face had turned all shades of red.

"It's fine," Poe shook his head.

"It's not -!" Armitage took a shuddering breath before continuing, "It's not _fine_. I shouldn't have… You shouldn't have had to see that."

"We all have our bad moments, buddy. It's okay to need help now and then."

Armitage let out a dry, humorless chuckle, before finally turning to look at Poe. "Maybe for you," he tried to sneer but it fell short. Poe quirked an eyebrow at that statement, but chose not to comment. After a few moments of unbroken eye contact, Armitage groaned and stood up. "Well I don't know about you, but I need coffee," and with that he strode confidently out of the bedroom.

Feeling it would be awkward for him to remain in the man's bedroom sans said man, Poe grabbed his shoes and followed him into the main living area. He settled onto one of the barstools in the kitchen, watching Armitage go about making coffee as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

"So… can I ask, who was that guy?" Poe finally ventured.

Armitage tensed briefly, midway through scooping the ground coffee into the urn. He glanced at Poe before answering, "His name is Ben Solo. He's the grandson of one of the partners at my firm. We… used to be involved."

"You mean you actually dated that jerk?" Poe's eyebrows disappeared behind the curls on his forehead.

"He can be quite charming when he wants to. When it's convenient for him."

"How long were you guys involved?"

"A few years, I suppose. It was off and on. Depending on his mood. How useful I was to him at the time. Took me a while to realise that. I finally broke it off for good about a year ago… He didn't take it well."

"I'll say. A year ago? So last night, what, he finally decided he wanted you back or something?" Poe accepted a mug of coffee.

"Last night wasn't the first time he's stopped by," his voice was hollow again. He stared off into space while the steam from his mug warmed his face. After a moment he continued, "Though it is the first time anyone's come to my rescue," he smirked.

"How did you get rid of him before?"

Armitage's eyes darkened. "Doesn't matter," he muttered.

Poe blinked, trying to process what wasn't being said. He felt a cold fury settle in the core of his being. "He hurt you. Did he… did he...?"

"Doesn't matter," Armitage bit out.

"Stop saying that!" Poe noticed Armitage wince when he raised his voice. "I'm sorry," he continued more quietly. He stood and moved around the island to where Armitage stood. "But please, stop saying it doesn't matter when people hurt you."

His ginger brow furrowed. "But it doesn't," Armitage insisted as though it was the most logical conclusion in the world.

"It matters to me," Poe said softly, brushing his fingers against the other man's fingers as they rested on the countertop. "I don't know who convinced you that you weren't worthy of common human decency, but know this. You are worthy. You're worthy of that and so much more. I wish you could see that."

"Well, we can't all have your eternal optimism, can we?" Armitage's voice was hoarse.

"Look, Armitage… you need help. I don't mean that as a judgement. I meant what I said earlier. Everyone needs help now and then. Even me."

"Good of you to admit the great Poe Dameron must sometimes come down to the level of us mere mortals," green eyes sparkled, teasing him.

Poe chuckled, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. That came out way more conceited than I meant it."

"Indeed."

"I'm just saying, I'm totally here for you, in any way you need me, but...I think you might need professional help. You're clearly dealing with some shit that I just can't comprehend, and it's fine. It's fine if you can't to talk to me about it, but just… I can't just standby while you're hurting." When Armitage didn't respond, Poe stepped back. "I… You probably want me to go now, so…" When he got no protest he sighed. "Thanks for the coffee. You know where to find me if you need me." Still no response. "Armitage?" The redhead looked up, his expression unreadable. "Promise me you'll come find me if you need anything?" After a moment he got a curt nod in response. "Thank you," Poe smiled.

* * *

A/N: Well that escalated quickly. I promise things will lighten up soon! These boys just have to get some of this angst out of their systems first. Who knew they'd just star feeling their feelings all over the place? *sigh*


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Armitage gets help. Rey plays matchmaker.

Trigger Warnings: PTSD, past child abuse, mention of rape

* * *

Armitage took Poe's advice and sought out a therapist. Being who he was, he did extensive research on the therapists available to him through his network, finally settling on a Dr. Harter Kalonia. She was British, for one. He knew it wasn't logical, but if he was going to spill his guts to a stranger, he'd rather it be a fellow Brit who might better understand the stiff upper lip culture he'd come from. Upon meeting her for his first appointment, he liked her immediately. She was warm and had a sense of humour about her, laughing at even his most macabre jokes.

It would have been easy to dismiss her competence based on her bedside manner, but she was sharp. She easily read between the lines of what Armitage wasn't saying, and when necessary she wouldn't hesitate to call out his deflection tactics. Her voice was casual, but she considered his case to be serious and recommended they meet at least once a week. Being ever diligent once he'd set his mind to something, Armitage agreed, even going so far as to book two appointments a week over the next three weeks.

It hadn't taken long for Dr. Kalonia to diagnose him with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She hypothesized he'd been suffering from it for years, as a result of the chronic abuse, physical and emotional, he suffered growing up. Armitage wasn't sure how to feel about that. On the one hand he was relieved that there was a name for what he was feeling. On the other hand, he felt shame at being diagnosed with a mental disorder. Dr. Kalonia assured him that was the PTSD talking, not to mention the stigma society placed on mental illness. She helped him understand, at least on an intellectual level, that this didn't make him weak, or bad. That didn't make the feeling in his gut go away, though.

"Tell me about your friends," she prompted him.

Armitage fidgeted in the chair across from her. This was their fifth session. He still wasn't used to talking about himself at such length. "Er, well, I don't really have friends."

"No?"

"I'm not very good at making friends."

"What about this Poe you've mentioned?"

Armitage blushed at the mention of his name. He did mention Poe quite a bit in their sessions. "He's my neighbor. He...yes, I suppose he's my friend."

"And what about the others?"

"You mean Rey and the others? Those are Poe's friends, not mine."

"Do you want them to be?"

"What would it matter if I did?"

"It's very common for people in your situation to emotionally detach themselves from others, but that doesn't make it healthy. We're social creatures, Armitage. Human beings need socialization to survive."

"I have Millicent," he insisted.

"And pets can be very important for our emotional wellbeing," she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her thighs. "But, Armitage, they can't replace human interaction." When he didn't respond she continued, "When's the last time you hung out with them?"

"It's been weeks. Since before…" he waved his hand noncommittally.

"Since before your ex tried to rape you and triggered you to relive a traumatic event," she finished for him.

Armitage gulped and nodded.

"I can't make you do anything you don't want to, but I think it would be a good idea for you to surround yourself with good people. And Armitage, these sound like good people based on what you've told me about them."

"I'll… I'll think about it," he promised.

* * *

Ever since the incident, things had been weird between him and Poe. Quite frankly, Armitage was embarrassed that Poe had witnessed him at his most vulnerable, and it felt like Poe was walking on eggshells around him whenever they ran into each other in the hallway, or when he had to go retrieve Millicent from Poe's sock drawer yet again. They were both polite to one another, but neither of them seemed willing to acknowledge the elephant in the room.

Armitage was returning from his Saturday run when he ran into Poe again. The other man was also returning from somewhere, but had clearly ridden his motorcycle as he had the helmet tucked under his arm.

"Heya, Hux," he smiled sweetly, his voice soft.

Armitage nodded, still panting slightly, "Poe." He missed the way Poe's eyes scanned his body as he shook his hair out of his eyes. It really was time for a trip to the barber.

They walked into the building together, a pregnant silence falling over them.

"How are… things?" Poe tried to ask casually.

"I'm well, thank you. And you?"

"Can't complain." After a pause he continued, "Say the gang is coming over for a game night tonight, and Rey will not stop pestering me about you joining us. I think she misses you."

A ghost of a smile skirted across Armitage's face, "She is quite good at pestering, isn't she. Perhaps if I were to join you tonight it would earn you a reprieve."

"You'd really be helping me out," Poe grinned.

"I suppose I could do that. What time are they scheduled to arrive?"

Poe chuckled at his neighbor's formality as they both unlocked their doors. "They'll be here around 7."

"Then I shall endeavor to arrive at 7."

"Great, and Armitage," he waited until the redhead turned his attention back towards his neighbor. "I've missed you too." He smiled before disappearing behind the door.

* * *

Armitage had to admit, Dr. Kalonia had been right. He'd noticed a major improvement to his mood since he'd started joining Poe's friends for their frequent get-togethers. He'd even ventured out of his comfort zone and joined Poe for a gathering at Rey's place once. (He'd insisted that they take his car, though, as he was not about to subject himself to the deathtrap that was Poe's motorcycle.)

Rey. He honestly didn't know what to do with that woman. There were times she was his favorite person on the planet. She was full of laughter and joy. Similar to Poe, she had this way of drawing people out of their shell and bringing out the best in them. The difference of course was that he was in no way attracted to Rey as he was with Poe, so in some ways he was even more at ease with her than he was with his neighbor.

But then there were times he wanted to throttle her. Ever since he'd started coming around again, Rey had not so subtly found ways to force Armitage and Poe into close contact with one another. Insisting Armitage take her seat, which happened to be situated next to Poe. Strategically pairing Poe and Armitage together when they played team games. He'd nearly had a stroke when she'd "accidentally" spilled her tea on Poe's shirt, driving the other man to rip said shirt off over his head before it could burn him, revealing the very well sculpted body he hid underneath. She'd even had the audacity to wink at Armitage when no one was looking. Fortunately, this incident occurred at Poe's place, so he was able to quickly change into a dry shirt, and Armitage's blood pressure eventually returned to normal.

Poe had noticed Rey's favorite new hobby too. He'd tried to communicate through glares and frowns that he didn't appreciate her actions. It's not that he didn't want to be near Hux. He wanted to be closer to him than he'd ever been to anyone in his life, but he knew the other man was going through some stuff and he didn't want to take advantage of that. He finally confronted her after the shirt incident.

"What the hell are you doing?" he hissed after the others had left.

"What are you talking about?" she feigned innocence poorly, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about."

Rey groaned. "Come on, Poe. Anyone with eyes can see you two want each other. I'm surprised you two aren't shagging like rabbits yet. It's not like you to move so slow."

He rubbed his hand over his face. "It's… It's complicated okay? It's not my place to say anything, but just, he's dealing with some stuff so I'm giving him space. I don't want to fuck this up."

"Ugh, fine. We'll do it your way," Rey rolled her eyes.

"Promise?"

"For now."

"I'll take it."

And so Rey laid off her matchmaking attempts. This didn't mean Poe and Armitage suddenly stopped interacting. It just meant that when they sat together or teamed up for games, it was their idea. After all, they did compliment each other quite well, and often won when they teamed up against the others.

Armitage often offered to help Poe clean up after his friends left. Poe frankly didn't care about the mess all that much and normally would have been happy to put it off till the next day, but he wasn't about to turn down time spent with Hux. Today the other man seemed nervous.

"You okay?" he asked as they finished up washing the dishes.

"Hmm? Oh, yes," Armitage answered distractedly as he dried his hands. Then he swallowed. His mouth was parched. "I wanted to tell you, I took your advice."

Poe's brow furrowed. "My advice?"

"I've, um, I've started seeing a therapist," Armitage's cheeks were bright pink.

"Oh," Poe smiled softly. "That's great Armitage. Nothing to be embarrassed about. I still go see my therapist sometimes. It helps."

This time it was Hux's brow that furrowed. "You see a therapist? But you're… normal."

Poe chuckled. "No such thing as normal, Armitage. Lots of people go to therapy. It's totally normal."

"You just said there's no such thing as normal."

"Touché," Poe grinned.

"Right, well, in any case," Armitage took a deep breath, "my therapist thinks it might be best if someone I trust had a key to my flat in case of emergencies, and I was wondering, well, if I might be able to bestow that upon you? If you're willing, that is. It's totally fine if you don't, in fact you really have no reason to -"

"Armitage," Poe cut off his rambling. "I'd be honored really. But what kind of emergencies are we talking about here? Has… has Ben tried -"

"No, no, he's not been by again, though there is of course that possibility."

"Oh, good. So we're mostly talking fires, medical emergencies, Millicent runs out of cat food, those kinds of things?"

"Yes, precisely," Armitage agreed hastily. He wasn't ready to share everything with Poe yet, but he wanted to trust him with this. "So you agree?"

"Of course."

"Excellent," he breathed a sigh of relief as he fished out the spare key that had been sitting in his pocket all evening and handing it to Poe.

"And here," the other man scrambled around in a disorganized drawer before retrieving another key and placing it in Armitage's hand. "In case Millicent sneaks over and tries to eat me when you run out of cat food. You'd have to come rescue me."

"I - you don't have to just because -" Armitage was flustered at the thought that Poe trusted him as much as he trusted Poe.

"No, it makes sense. I want you to have it."

"Very well. I guess I'll be going now."

"Sure," he walked him to the door. They stood in the doorway together for a moment, barely a foot between them. Poe licked his lip before biting it. "Well, goodnight."

"Yes, goodnight," Armitage breathed before reluctantly making his way across the hall.

"Hey Armitage," Poe called out as Armitage unlocked his door. "Thanks for trusting me," he smiled.

Armitage simply blushed and nodded before retreating into his apartment.

* * *

A/N: I don't know about y'all, but I'm so proud of Armitage for seeking out help. I just want to squish him and make him feel better.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Armitage shares his hobby with Poe and we learn a bit more about the gang.

* * *

For the first time in years, Armitage felt some semblance of peace. Surrounded by his paintings, feeling the brush in his hand, the smell of the oil paints, he was in his element. Nothing existed but him and the canvas, the colors the only language they needed to communicate with one another.

Dr. Kalonia had encouraged him to pick up the hobby again when she'd learned about it. Yet again, the woman was right. Armitage had started to feel anxious. He had never had a great love for corporate law, but the better he got to know his new friends, the more he felt uneasy about what he did at the office. Putting faces and names to their little cause made it more real to him. It mattered because they mattered.

However, there was no escaping Palpatine, Skywalker & Snoke. He couldn't just quit the firm. He'd been with them nearly a decade, and besides, changing the type of law one practices was easier said than done. He would have to find another way to reconcile the conflict he felt within himself. So he turned to his painting. Without much conscious thought, his hands started moving across the canvas. It wasn't long before the figures on each canvas started coming to life.

There was Rose, with her soft eyes and gentle smile. He had learned she was the daughter of refugees from the Philippines. Her father had worked as a line cook before retiring, and her mother still worked as a receptionist in a dentist's office. They'd scrimped and saved every penny to pay for their daughters' education. It paid off. Her sister, Paige, had been in the air force before dying in the line of duty. Rose was now doing research and development for an IT company. She was passionate about immigrants' rights and supporting veterans. To Armitage, Rose represented hope.

Finn had had a rocky start in life. He'd grown up in the foster care system, which had been rough on him. In his teenage years, he started getting into trouble, even joining a gang. At the time, he hadn't thought he'd had a choice in the matter, that that's just what life was. It wasn't until he wound up in juvie that things started to turn around for him. Poe was mentoring and tutoring some of the kids in his block, and Finn just happened to be on his rotation. It was a hard road, but Finn managed to get out of the gang and turn his life around, going back to school and eventually becoming a teacher just like Poe. He knew he was one of the lucky ones, so he fought against the systemic poverty and racism that led to the circumstances of his childhood in the first place and kept others in an endless cycle of crime. To Armitage, Finn represented courage.

Rey had also grown up in foster care, but on the other side of the pond. While she hadn't fallen into a life of crime, she'd wound up homeless almost immediately after aging out of the system, living on the streets for several months. Through sheer luck, she'd managed to make her way into an organization that helped young adults like her who'd aged out of foster care. They helped get a roof over her head, and even helped her apply for schools. She got into college on a scholarship, and had managed to spend a semester abroad in the states, which she loved so much she returned after graduating and had been here ever since. She was all smiles and laughter, but Armitage saw the steely determination in her eyes. To him, she represented strength.

Then there was Poe. Poe, who brought this motley crew together. Finn obviously looked up to him for the role he played in turning his life around. Rose had met him through a support group at the VA for family members of military killed in combat. He'd brought them both into the Indivisible movement where they met Rey. The man had never met a stranger, as evidenced by his bold introduction to Armitage upon moving in across the hall. He was kind and good and compassionate. The only word that came to his mind when he thought of Poe was love. Poe was practically overflowing with love for humankind. It's why he did what he did, both on the large scale through his activism, and on the small scale through the way he cared for those close to him. Armitage couldn't believe how lucky he was that this amazing man had just happened upon his doorstep.

So lost was Armitage in his painting, he lost all sense of time. It wasn't until he was startled by a knock at the door that he realised dusk had fallen.

* * *

When the door finally opened, Poe was shocked by Armitage's appearance. The normally buttoned up and meticulously groomed ginger donned a faded old t-shirt and jeans, both dotted with flecks of paint, many old, some fresh. His hands and forearms likewise sported spots of paint, and his hair fell in loose strands into his face. Poe had never seen his neighbor look quite so… messy, not even after returning from his runs. An image of Armitage looking so beautifully unkempt in an entirely different situation skated across his mind, sending a flare of desire through him.

Poe bit his lip to tamp down his traitorous thoughts and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Hey," he smiled, a bit shyly, "hadn't seen you in awhile. Just wanted to make sure you were okay. Decorating?" his eyes darted to the paintbrush grasped loosely in Armitage's slender fingers.

"Oh," the hand yielding the paintbrush twitched as the other man blushed slightly, "n-not exactly. Just painting a bit. It's a - a hobby of sorts."

"You paint?" Poe grinned. "That's awesome. I can barely draw stick figures."

That made Armitage smile. "Well, I'm sure you have many other talents."

Poe shrugged. "I get by." He paused before asking, "Would it be okay - Could I see what you're working on?"

Armitage gulped. He'd never shown anyone, besides Millicent of course, his paintings. Yet for some reason, he wanted Poe to see them. "Yeah, sure," he nodded, his mouth dry. He ushered Poe in, leading them to the dining room turned art studio. "They're nothing much really. It's just a dumb hobby, something to pass the time," he rambled as they walked. When they reached the studio, Armitage stayed in the doorway, crossing his arms tightly across his chest.

Poe crossed the threshold into the room. Having done a bit of snooping in those early days of cat sitting, he of course had an inkling of what to expect, but the canvases had all been covered then. Now many of them sat uncovered, revealing beautiful brushstrokes, bringing images to life. There were of course quite a few paintings of Millicent, but there were also several images of the human form, some complete, others not.

"Armitage, these are beautiful," Poe grinned back at him.

Armitage felt a small swell of pride at that, even as his heart threatened to pound through his ribcage.

The other man continued his exploration, his eyes finally landing on the painter's latest work. He recognized them immediately. On separate canvases were mostly complete paintings of Rey, Rose, Finn… and himself. Poe felt a lump in his throat. What did it mean? He'd painted all of them, not just Poe, so he squashed down that bit of hope rising up that perhaps Armitage felt the same way about him.

He took a deep breath before smiling and turning back toward the doorway. "What, no self portrait?"

Armitage scoffed. "No one wants to see this," his eyes darted down indicating his own figure.

Poe's brow furrowed and he cocked his head, much like a curious puppy. "You really don't see it, do you?"

"See what?"

"How gorgeous you are."

The other man recoiled at those words. Every instinct told him Poe was mocking him, that he was just building Armitage up only to tear him down. But Dr. Kalonia's voice popped into his head, telling him not everyone was out to get him, so he tried to fight the instinct. Still, he barked out a dry, bitter laugh, admonishing his neighbor, "Don't be ridiculous. I mean, look at me."

"I'm looking," Poe had moved so he was only a few steps away, "and… I like what I see."

Armitage had turned beet red at this point. "What do you want from me?"

Hurt flitted across Poe's face. "I'm not trying to take anything from you, Armitage. I just wish you could see what I see."

Armitage's old defenses came back in full force. He sneered, "Well, clearly you're deluded. There's nothing here but a weak-willed slip of a boy." Shit. He hadn't meant to say that.

Poe growled, "I swear I will kill whoever made you believe that about yourself."

"Too late, he's already dead," Armitage bit out, keeping his gaze down.

Tension crackled through the silence in the room. Finally, he heard Poe breathe out, "Your father." It wasn't so much a question as a statement. Armitage didn't answer, he didn't have to. He simply lifted his gaze. He'd managed to get his mask back into place, dead eyes falling on the man across from him.

Poe sucked a deep breath in through his nose, running his fingers through his hair, tugging tightly on the wild curls in frustration. "Okay, you know what? We need beer for this conversation." He marched toward the front door before turning back. "You coming?"

Armitage blinked. What was happening? Usually by this point in a conversation, he'd have successfully driven off the other party. He didn't _do_ feelings. But there was Poe, waiting for him, with his soft eyes and open expression.

"Um, okay," he stammered. "I'm a mess, I'll just-" he indicated he would change first.

"No, don't!" Poe cut in too quickly. He blushed a bit before continuing. "Just, don't worry about it. You know I don't mind a mess." He smirked.

Armitage nodded curtly before following the other man across the hall into unchartered territory.

* * *

A/N: So I don't actually think Hux painted all these portraits in one day. He's probably been working on them in his spare time over the course of several days, hence Poe not seeing much of him. Imagine, if you will, a montage of Hux painting. :)


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: Lots of dialogue regarding things, you dear reader, have already learned, but our boys have not. I apologize in advance for this necessary exposition.

Trigger Warnings: Talk of past abuse.

* * *

Before he could so much as blink, Armitage found himself sitting on the couch across the hall, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. He could hear Poe clamoring about in the kitchen. After a few minutes he emerged with a bowl of crisps in one hand, two beers cradled in the other.

Poe smiled as he sat, offering one of the beers to Armitage. The ginger took it eagerly, taking a large gulp to try and calm his nerves. "So, what is it you want to know?"

Poe sighed. "This isn't an interrogation, Armitage. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. I just... I just want to know you."

Armitage rolled his eyes. "You've known me, what, seven? Eight months?"

The other man smiled, "I met you eight months ago. Doesn't mean I know you. Hell, I just learned you're some kind of secret Michelangelo over there."

Armitage took another sip of his beer to hide his blush. "I'm hardly a Michelangelo. Besides, I prefer the works of Gaugin and Renoir." he muttered.

"See! Right there. That's something I didn't know about you," Poe grinned.

"Very well, Mr. Dameron." He sat up straighter. "What is it you _do _know about me?"

"Alright," Poe sipped his own beer. "I know you love your cat, probably more than anything on this planet. That much was obvious from day one." Armitage rolled his eyes. "I know you go for a run most mornings, and on Saturdays you run for longer. Makes me wonder if you're training for a marathon or something." He licked a drop of beer from his lips as his eyes scanned the lean man's body.

"I know you really like order and cleanliness, if your apartment is anything to go by. At least, my kitchen is always spotless after you've had your way with it. I know you're one of the smartest people I've ever met. You're obviously well-educated, but beyond that your mind is sharp and analytical. I know you have a hard time trusting people, and, well, I guess that makes sense given what little you've told me about Ben. But it's more than that, isn't it? You've mentioned… you don't exactly speak well of you dad."

Armitage stared down at his hands, clenched into fists, pulling at the fabric of his jeans. "You wouldn't either if you'd known him."

"Why?" Poe asked softly. When he got no answer, he continued. "I won't judge you, Armitage. You're safe here with me."

When Armitage looked up into Poe's eyes, all he could see was kindness and… something more. He could trust those eyes. He took a shuddering breath before commencing his tale. "Do you remember the first night I assisted you with that biohazard you call a kitchen?" Poe chuckled and nodded. "You said something about how at the end of the day you and your family had each other, and that was all that mattered. 'You know how it is.' Those were your exact words. 'You know how it is.' But I don't know how it is, not really."

He took a deep breath. "My mother left when I was still an infant, and my step-mother never cared for me. I was never supposed to be born. The only reason my father kept me around was because his wife was barren and he wanted an heir. I was never a very good heir, though. Never strong enough, or smart enough. Never good enough. He tried to beat the weakness out of me, but it never really took." He heard a sharp intake of breath from the other man. He attempted to wave off that revelation. "You can imagine how well he took it when he learned I was a pouf," he tried for sarcasm but it fell short.

"Yep. It's official," Poe declared. "It's a good thing your father's already dead, otherwise I'd probably be facing murder charges right now."

Armitage chuckled. "Well it's a good thing you're next door neighbors with an attorney, then."

Poe quirked an eyebrow. "I didn't think that was your area of law."

"No, but I suppose I could make an exception for you," he smiled.

Their eyes locked. Not breaking the contact, Poe took another pull from his beer. "So. We've established your father was an asshole. What about the rest?"

"The rest?"

"Ben. I still can't quite put that puzzle together."

Armitage shrugged. "He was interested."

"That's it? He was interested?"

"Yeah," he shrugged again. "I took what I could get. I'm not exactly the pick of the litter. Ben often made a point to remind me of it, too. It got tiresome after awhile. I eventually broke things off with him even though I knew I didn't have many other options."

"You're kidding right?"

Armitage was honestly confused. "What do you mean?"

Poe took a deep breath. "It's like I said, I wish you could see what I see." He took the other man's hand.

"And what do you see?" Armitage could barely get the words out, his throat suddenly dry despite the beer he'd been imbibing.

"Well," Poe licked his lips, "I'd say you know you're gorgeous, but for some reason you refuse to see that, so just know that I think you're one of the most beautiful people I've ever laid eyes on." As if on cue, Armitage's cheeks tinged crimson. "But it's more than that. I mean, not gonna lie, when I first met you, I wasn't sure what to do with you. You were, like, determined not to like me, yet here we are."

Armitage cleared his throat, "Yes, well, you grow on people. Much like a fungus."

Poe laughed. "See? You're funny too, in that adorably droll British way of yours. And I know… I know it's easier for you to push people away. You've been dealt a shitty hand at life. I can't really blame you for not wanting to trust anyone, when so many have hurt you. But your father was wrong about you. You're not weak. Hell, Tage, you're probably the strongest man I know."

"What did you call me?"

"Shit. Sorry, I know you don't like diminutives."

"No, no. I, I liked it." Light green eyes met sensual brown ones. "Tage. No one's ever called me that. Perhaps diminutives aren't so bad… when they're coming from you." He bit his lip.

Beers forgotten on the coffee table, the two neighbors had crossed the distance of the couch without noticing, their faces merely inches apart.

"Tage," Poe whispered, his eyes darting down to the pale pink lips of his neighbor.

Before Armitage could even register what he was doing, he lunged forward, capturing Poe's lips with his own. He slid his hands up the other man's chest, resting one at his collarbone, his thumb rubbing at his Adam's apple. The other hand looped around to thread its fingers through those unruly curls that refused to be tamed.

Poe let out what could have been a groan or a growl, as his hands cupped Armitage's face, his thumbs caressing the pale cheekbones as though he was the most precious thing in the world.

The kiss was heated and intense, but also soft and gentle. It left Armitage feeling lightheaded. What was this feeling? He was no stranger to kissing, but kissing Poe was like some other-worldly experience. It felt as though he could burst out of his skin, and he felt...joy.

No, this wasn't right. He wasn't meant for this. Poe deserved better. Somehow coming to his senses, he abruptly pulled himself out of the kiss. "I'm sorry," he gasped. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…"

"Tage, it's okay."

"No! No, it's not." He dared a glance up at the other man's face. "You deserve better than this. Better than me." He popped up from the couch, apologizing again.

"Please don't say that," Poe followed him to the door. "_I'm _sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you." But it was too late. Armitage had already scurried across the hall, slamming his door shut behind him.

Poe closed his own door before unleashing his rage into the wall. "Way to go, Dameron." He flexed his now aching hand. "You had to go fuck everything up."

* * *

Hours passed, Poe wasn't sure how many. He'd entertained the idea of using the spare key to let himself into the apartment across the way, but nixxed it immediately as a violation of the trust Armitage had put in him. So he tried to distract himself with the television, but nothing registered. He eventually fell into a restless sleep on the couch, waking every so often to the sounds from the TV before falling back asleep.

Sometime after midnight he was woken by a loud pounding at his door. He groaned, rolling off the couch. "Coming," he grumbled, stumbling toward the door. Peeking through the peephole, he recognized the shock of red hair.

"Armitage?" he asked sleepily. "Is everything okay?"

The other man was white as a sheet. "It's Millie. Something's terribly wrong with my Millie, she won't stop vomiting and I - I have to take her to the vet you see, but I'm in n-no condition to drive. I hate to ask, it's so late, I know, but -"

Suddenly alert, Poe stood straighter, "Of course, yes. We'll have to take your car, I've only got my motorcycle."

"Yes, of course," Armitage nodded, before shuffling back across to his apartment, Poe following at his heels.

Millicent was already safely tucked away in her luxury designer carrier, looking the worse for wear and meowing pitifully. Armitage tossed Poe his car keys and they moved into the hallway together, Poe locking both their apartment doors behind them.

"I'm sorry," Armitage whispered. "I didn't know who else to- Thank you."

"Hey," Poe smiled softly as he brought his hand up to the side of his face. "Don't worry about it. Now come on, let's get our girl to the vet."

* * *

A/N: Oh no! A cliffhanger! Will Millicent be okay?!


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: I probably should have made y'all wait longer for the next chapter, but it wouldn't leave me alone, so here it is!

Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian. Nothing in this chapter should be taken as veterinary advice. I am at the mercy of Lord Google with my research.

* * *

Everything was a blur once they arrived at the Emergency Vet. Armitage rushed ahead with Millicent in tow, Poe following him through the door labeled "Cats" after locking the car door. The staff seemed unfazed by two pajama-clad men bursting through their doors, but a quick survey of the room confirmed pajamas were apparently the height of fashion when visiting the emergency clinic in the middle of the night.

While Armitage relayed Millicent's symptoms to the receptionist, Poe staked a claim on a couple of chairs for them. He laid his jacket across the chairs before making his way to the little keurig machine tucked away in the corner. By the time he'd finished preparing cups for himself and Armitage, they were ready to take Millicent back to the examination room.

"Do you hear that, Millie?" Armitage spoke softly. "Be a good girl for the doctors, they're going to take care of you now." He stroked her nose.

"Mr. Hux," the receptionist interrupted, "I need to take her back now."

"Yes, of course," he zipped the carrier up and watched as the woman walked into the back area with the patient in tow. He must have been standing there awhile because next thing he knew there was a gentle hand at his wrist.

"Armitage, come on. Sit," it was Poe.

Armitage let the other man guide him over to the chairs he'd secured and sat as the other man foisted a hot beverage into his hand. He sniffed it, wrinkling his nose. "What is this?"

"Chamomile tea."

Armitage frowned, catching a whiff of Poe's drink. "How come you get coffee?"

Poe smiled. "I need to stay awake to drive you two home. You, on the other hand, need to relax."

"What if…" Armitage swallowed around the lump that suddenly grew in his throat. "What if we… what if she… I can't…"

"Hey, hey," understanding what the ginger was trying to say, Poe turned his face so he could look him in the eye. "None of that. Think happy thoughts. Millicent's going to be fine, and we will all go home together, okay?"

"You can't know that," Armitage's voice was hoarse as he tried to hold back tears.

Poe sighed. "I guess not. But I can hope can't I? We can't both be Gloomy Guses," he tried for a smile.

The other man's cheek twitched, the only acknowledgment of the attempt at levity. He took a tentative sip of his tea before leaning back in his chair and releasing a deep breath. "What if I did this? I should have paid closer attention. I should have seen the signs sooner. This is all my fault."

"Stop that," Poe's voice was firm. "This isn't your fault, Armitage. You practically worship that cat. Jesus, when I was sitting her for you I was terrified of not following your instructions to the letter, lest I feel your wrath. Just, animals are really good at hiding illness. "

"I had this dog growing up," he continued, "Bebe. We got her after my mom died, I dunno, as a way to cope I guess. But damn if I didn't love that dog. She was my best friend for the longest time. As she got older she started to slow down of course, and we adjusted her care accordingly. But then one day she got really, really sick. It seemed like it was out of nowhere, but after taking her to the vet we learned she had cancer, and it had been progressing for quite awhile. There was nothing we could do for her but make her comfortable, so we spent the next few weeks spoiling her rotten and just soaking up her love till the end."

"This is supposed to make me feel better?" Armitage squeaked out.

"Shit. Sorry," Poe rubbed his temples. "I'm fucking this up. I just meant that even the best pet parents don't catch things until they become serious. Bebe was really old by then. Millicent's barely middle aged for a cat. She's going to be fine."

Armitage turned red-rimmed eyes on him. "I can't lose her. She's all I have."

"You're not going to lose her. But Tage," Poe laced his fingers through the other man's pale, slender fingers, "she's not all you have."

Their eyes locked until they were interrupted by another voice.

"Mr. Hux?" the receptionist from earlier was standing a few feet away, a chart in her hand.

Armitage shot up out of his chair. "Millicent, is she-?"

"Millicent is stable," the woman smiled warmly. "If you'll follow me, the doctor will see you shortly."

"Yes, of course," he turned to Poe. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah, if you want me-"

"Yes," Armitage cut him off.

Poe smiled. "Okay then, let's go.

* * *

Ensconced in a windowless exam room, Poe and Armitage waited for news on Millicent.

"Hi," a slender Asian woman entered the room, "I'm Dr. Pava. You must be Millicent's dad?" she extended her hand.

"Yes," Armitage shook her hand eagerly. The woman nodded a greeting to Poe before turning her attention back to Armitage. "Is she okay? Can I see her?"

Dr. Pava smiled. "Right now she's receiving fluids to help her re-hydrate and seems to be feeling much better. We've also run some blood panels and a urinalysis. These quick tests show that her thyroid levels are higher than they should be. I also palpated her throat and could feel that her thyroid is a bit enlarged, so I'd say we're looking at a case of hyperthyroidism here."

Armitage blanched, barely registering Poe's hand rubbing his back. "Hyperthyroidism? Is that serious?"

"It can be," she nodded, "but it's also very treatable. We're going to administer Methimazole, and send you home with some as well. This should help regulate her thyroid hormones. Now, you usually take her to see Dr. Mitaka?"

"Yes, he's her regular veterinarian."

"Okay, you'll want to take her in for a follow up with him ASAP to discuss further treatment options. One of those options is simply to keep her on the Methimazole, but there are other options, including surgery, that you'll want to discuss with him. Methimazole is effective, but you'd have to administer it three times a day for the rest of her life. Millicent is younger than most cats diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, and seems to be quite healthy otherwise. She could be a good candidate for surgery."

"Surgery," the ginger cat dad's voice was hollow at the prospect of someone cutting into his Millie.

Dr. Pava smiled sympathetically. "I know it can be scary to think about, but surgery is often the most effective route in these cases."

"Hear that, Tage?" Poe sidled up next to him. "She's gonna be fine."

Armitage swallowed and nodded.

Dr. Pava glanced over at Poe, realising he was the one in control in this situation. She addressed him as much as Armitage as she continued, "We should have her ready to go home soon. Feel free to wait here and we'll bring her to you."

Poe nodded his thanks to her as she made her exit. A thick silence fell over the room.

"Surgery," Armitage whispered again.

"Yeah," Poe was still rubbing his back. "Maybe. We won't know for sure till she sees her regular vet, but what's important is she's going to be okay." The other man simply nodded.

"Thank you," he whispered, reaching out to stroke the hand Poe was resting on the exam table.

Poe grinned. "Any time."

* * *

There was another flurry of activity once Millicent was returned to her guardian. Paperwork was signed; medication instructions reviewed; a bajillion questions asked by Armitage before Poe finally made him leave the poor clinic staff alone as he was starting to repeat himself. Eventually the two men and their feline companion made their way back to the car which Poe drove back to the apartment complex. By the time they got home it was nearly five in the morning.

"Shit," Armitage cursed as he opened the carrier, watching Millicent slink out and start grooming herself. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to keep you up all night. I hope this won't adversely affect your teaching today."

Poe snorted. "Fuck that. I'm calling in sick today; and so are you," he continued firmly, placing a hand on the lean chest before him.

Armitage gave a curt nod. "Yes, of course." He reached a hand up to cover the hand covering his heart. "Poe…" he bit his lip leaning in slightly.

Neither knew who initiated contact, but it was only a matter of moments before their lips were pressed together. The kiss was slow and sleepy, just as they were in these twilight hours after a night of emotional exhaustion.

"Mrowr," Millicent broke the spell as she rubbed against both their legs.

"Shit. Sorry, I did it again." Armitage apologized, moving to pull away.

"Don't," Poe gasped, grabbing onto the other man's waist, pulling him closer. "Don't run away. I want this. I want you. I want to be with you."

"I don't understand."

"I know you don't," Poe sighed, "and we should talk about this. We _will _talk about this. But maybe not when we're both sleep deprived and you're about to dive into an adrenaline crash." Armitage nodded. "I'll let you get some sleep."

He made to move away, but this time it was Armitage who tightened his grip. "Please stay." He blushed. "I mean… I don't mean anything untoward, I just… what if Millie takes a turn for the worst? I'd feel safer if you were here with us."

"Yeah. Yeah, of course," Poe smiled as he rubbed a thumb over the other man's cheek. "For Millicent."

Armitage gave him a small smile. "I think maybe you could call her Millie too."

Poe grinned. "I'd be honored."

* * *

A/N: So I realise (through my own experiences) that they wouldn't have run the tests on Millicent without first giving Hux a quote and having him sign off his approval, but that would have just taken forever, and we need to get these boys kissing sooner rather than later! ;)


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: Will Poe and Armitage be able to face their feelings in the light of day?

* * *

After sending emails to their respective employers excusing themselves for the day, Poe and Armitage had quickly succumbed to sleep as dawn crept over the windowsill. While they'd started their slumber with only their hands connected, when they woke up some hours later there was nary an inch of air between them. It was anyone's guess who awoke first, but within moments they were kissing; soft, lazy, sleepy kisses as their bodies moved instinctually against each other, pushing their hard members together.

Poe was certain he was dreaming again. He licked and bit at Armitage's lips, running a hand along the long, lean muscle of the other man's side before reaching his hip and massaging that spot. It wasn't until he felt a slight sting at the base of his scalp where Armitage tugged at his curls that he started to think maybe this was real.

"Tage," kiss, "Tage, we have to stop," he finally managed to breathe out. Armitage didn't seem to register his words as he pressed on with his ministrations. Poe tightened his grip on his hip, pushing slightly, "Armitage," he spoke a bit louder, "stop."

Their kiss broken, both men panting, Armitage blinked, the blissful expression on his face crumbling. "I'm sorry. I thought you wanted… I'm sorry," he recoiled away from Poe.

Realising his error, Poe pulled the other man back to him. "Fuck, Tage, believe me I want," he thrust gently against the other man to prove his point. "Jesus Christ do I want, but we need to talk, remember? Besides," he jutted his chin to a point over Armitage's shoulder, "we're being watched."

Armitage peered over his shoulder to see Millicent perched atop the dresser, blinking slowly in cool, disdainful judgement. He glanced at the alarm clock blaring 10:15 at him in bright, red numbers. "Bloody hell, her breakfast is late," he muttered.

Poe smirked. "Tell you what, you take care of her. I'm going to go take a very, _very _cold shower, then I'm cooking you breakfast. Meet me at my place in say, thirty minutes?" Armitage licked his lip and nodded. "Great," Poe gave him a quick peck on the lips before reluctantly pulling himself out of the bed and away from Armitage. "I'll see you soon."

* * *

Approximately forty five minutes later, there was a timid knock on Poe's door. Poe opened it with a grin.

"Hi," Armitage smiled shyly. He'd also showered as evidenced by his damp locks. "Sorry I took so long. I was on hold with my vet for the length of a Bible."

"No worries, I'm running a little late myself. Come on in. The coffee's just finished brewing. How do you like your eggs?"

"Um, over medium."

"Over medium it is then." Poe cracked the eggs into the skillet before pouring two cups of coffee, handing one to Armitage. "Everything okay with Millicent?" he asked as he tended to the eggs.

Armitage nodded as he finished a sip of coffee. "I'm taking her in to see Dr. Mitaka this afternoon for a follow up. She seems to be feeling much better though; the medication seems to be keeping her stable."

"That's great," Poe laid out the eggs and some bacon he'd already prepared while waiting onto a couple of plates. They ate in silence for a few moments as both men suddenly realised how famished they were, needing more than just sleep to recover from their tumultuous night at the clinic.

"Thank you," Armitage dabbed at his mouth with his napkin. "I didn't realise how hungry I was."

Poe smiled warmly. "Yeah, well, while you're taking care of Millie, someone's gotta take care of you." He reached across the table, taking the other man's hand gently in his own.

Armitage felt his pulse start to race. "I don't understand."

"Understand what?"

"Why you care. What's in it for you?"

Poe pursed his lips, his grip tightening around Armitage's fingers. "I'd be lying if I said I'd have nothing to gain from this. I think it's human nature to seek out mutually beneficial arrangements. Social contract and all that. But…" he gulped, suddenly feeling unsure of himself, "if this isn't what you want, if I've misread things, I'm so sorry." He started to pull his hand away only to have it captured again in the other man's grip.

"No, I mean yes," Armitage hissed out. "I want this, I want you… more than anyone I've ever wanted my whole life." His tongue darted out across his lip before he bit it. "I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Intellectually, I know you're everything you seem to be - kind and good. But experience has taught me to be wary. Ben made me believe he cared once upon a time, and he's not the first person to take advantage of my weakness like that. I want to trust you Poe. It's just very difficult for me."

"I know."

"I'll understand if this is all too much."

"Hey," Poe stood and moved across the table where he half sat, half leaned against it, "none of that." He carded his fingers through silky, red locks, watching as sea foam green eyes shuttered closed at the contact. "I want you too, Armitage Hux, so so much." He pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "Let's take things slow. I don't want to rush this, rush you."

"You're… you're okay with that?"

Poe licked his lip. "Make no mistake, this doesn't mean I don't want all of this," his eyes scanned Hux's body before he winked. "Pretty sure I made that obvious this morning." Armitage blushed so hard it reached down to his chest. "But it's more important to me that I gain your trust."

Armitage was overwhelmed with emotion. Until now, he couldn't recall a single time in his life when someone had prioritized his needs over their own. He couldn't speak over the lump in his throat.

Recognizing this was getting to be a bit too much for the other man, Poe backed off and started clearing the dishes from the table. "Now, how about you take Millie to the vet, I'll grade some papers I've been putting off, and we can revisit this over dinner tonight."

Armitage cleared his throat. "You seem to be quite obsessed with feeding me."

"Like I said, someone's got to take care of you."

"I'm quite capable of feeding myself."

Poe re-emerged from the kitchen with a laugh. "I know you are, but I want to. I can't help it, I'm Guatemalan. Food is our love language." His smile softened. "Please say yes." Armitage nodded. Poe stepped closer to him. "May I kiss you?"

Armitage blinked a few times. He'd never been outright asked for permission to be kissed, so used to just having kisses taken from him. "Yes, please," he whispered.

Poe's hand cupped his jaw as he leaned up to kiss the taller man tenderly. It was a chaste kiss, but full of promises. After a few moments, they broke the kiss.

"See you tonight," Poe smiled.

"Yes, tonight," Armitage agreed, not able to contain his own smile. As he stepped across the hall to his own abode, he felt something he hadn't felt in a very long time. Hope.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter than others, but the boys are just feeling their feelings all over the place. SO MUCH FEELING.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: Warning - sexy times ahead. Disclaimer - still not a vet. Nothing here should be taken as veterinary advice.

* * *

They'd yet to share a bed again, as they'd agreed to take it slow, but Poe and Armitage spent much of their time together in the days following Millicent's trip to the clinic.

They dined together on the evenings Armitage managed to get home at a reasonable hour. On the nights he found himself stuck at the office he'd come home to a meal waiting for him in his fridge and a sappy note from Poe letting him know Millicent had been fed. Poe's words of endearment always made him blush furiously, but he couldn't deny the warm, fuzzy feeling that would grow in his chest. He'd never felt so cared for.

Regardless of whether they'd seen each other the night before, the neighbours would orchestrate their mornings so as to leave for work together, sharing a kiss farewell as they parted ways on the sidewalk. When they were apart, they'd communicate regularly via text message, managing to make each other laugh at the antics they had to face at their respective workplaces.

Today, though, was the day of Millicent's surgery. Armitage was taking the day off as he knew he wouldn't be able to concentrate knowing his darling cat was under the knife. Poe had offered to stay with him, but the ginger had insisted Poe carry on with his day.

"Don't be ridiculous, Poe. I can't ask you to drop everything on our account. Besides, your job is far more important than mine. Who else is going to teach the next generation to be all 'down with the man', or whatever nonsense it is you fill their heads with?"

Poe guffawed. "Okay fine, I'll go," he raised his hands in mock surrender, "but I expect regular updates."

"Yes, of course," Armitage muttered, stroking Millicent's chin as she purred.

"Hey," Poe cupped his boyfriend's chin. "Everything's going to be okay."

Armitage sighed, leaning into the touch and letting Poe gently kiss his worries away.

True to his word, he'd kept Poe posted throughout the day, though his texts had grown shorter throughout the day. Poe could tell the man was exhausted. The last text he'd received was the word "Home" with a photo of Millicent curled up sleeping in her bed.

It was a bit early for dinner, but Poe was sure Armitage had been too worried to eat much throughout the day, so he picked something up on the way home once he was able to tear himself away from the school. It only took a few minutes after he knocked for Armitage to answer.

"Hey," Poe smiled softly, holding up the bag of take-out. "I got sushi from that place you like."

"You're a saint," Armitage gave him a tired smile and a kiss.

"How's our girl?" Poe wandered over to where Millicent was still sleeping while Armitage set the food out on plates.

"Quite groggy. The anesthesia is still wearing off. They say she should be back to her normal self within 24-48 hours."

"They didn't make her wear a cone?"

"No, thank God. Since the incision is on her neck, she can't very well lick at it. They did give me a ridiculous foam collar, though, in case she starts scratching at it. I truly hope I won't have to suffer her that indignity."

Poe smirked, joining Armitage on the couch. Jeopardy was playing on the TV. They let the quiet wash over them while they ate, one of them occasionally answering the trivia question on the screen. It was comfortable, domestic even. By the time the program ended, Armitage was half-asleep.

"Come on, babe," Poe brushed ginger locks off the other man's forehead, "let's get you to bed."

"S'only half seven," Armitage slurred sleepily.

Poe chuckled, "I know, babe, but you can barely keep your eyes open. Did you even sleep last night?"

The other man shook his head, biting his lip, "Was too worried."

"Hmm, thought so. Come on," Poe stood and pulled Armitage up from the couch. "Bed." As they shuffled to the bedroom he asked, "Why didn't you take a nap once you got home?"

"Couldn't relax."

"Ah, well, guess the sushi did the trick."

"Not the sushi. You." Armitage blushed when he realised he'd said the words aloud. "I mean -"

Poe smiled warmly, "No. I like that you can relax with me." He placed a soft kiss on the pale throat before him.

A growl emitted from said throat. "Stay."

"Hmm, I wish," Poe maneuvered the taller man into the bed, tucking him in in the process, "but I'm afraid I'd be too tempted to do things to you if I got into that bed."

"Maybe I want you to do things to me," Armitage let out in a husky whisper, a faint blush tinging his cheeks.

Poe bit his lip. "Good to know. But all the same, I want you awake when the time comes for that."

"Hmm, awake good," Armitage closed his eyes before they popped open again. "Millicent…"

"Shh, I'll watch Millicent. You sleep."

"Sleep," the ginger head nodded, closing his eyes again. Poe gave him one last kiss on his forehead before turning the lights off and returning to the living room to keep his promise and watch over the other ginger in his care.

* * *

The gang came over for another game night that weekend. They hadn't said anything to their friends about the new development in their relationship, not sure if they were ready to share the little bubble they'd created for themselves with anyone else. As such, they'd tried to maintain a distance from each other while their friends were over, though their stolen glances and silent exchanges weren't really fooling anyone.

Armitage couldn't take it anymore. He'd grown accustomed to having Poe near over the last couple of weeks. To be in the same room as him and not be able to touch him was torture. So when Poe asked him for a hand in the kitchen, he eagerly jumped at the opportunity.

Poe was transferring the cookies he'd baked from the cooling rack to a platter when Armitage turned the corner. Caging the shorter man against the counter with his arms, he leaned down to press a kiss to the back of his neck.

Poe grinned, turning within the embrace. "Well, hello there."

Armitage answered not with words but with a heated kiss to the other man's mouth, which Poe returned in kind. So wrapped up were they in each other, they didn't hear a third party approaching the kitchen.

"I knew it!" Rey's exclamation startled them out of their kiss, though they remained in their embrace, bodies frozen. They looked like two deer in the headlights, staring wide-eyed at their friend who was grinning like a maniac. "How long has this been going on?"

Poe cleared his throat, "Erm, a couple of weeks now?"

"Well it's about bloody time," she admonished, still smiling. She shoved them out of the way to pop a cookie in her mouth. "I swear I was going to go mad if I had to watch you two dance around each other much longer." She grabbed the platter and moved back toward the doorway. "Don't take too long getting your rocks off, you've still got company you know," she winked. As she made her way back into the living room they heard her bellow, "Pay up, bitches, I won!"

Poe pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering, "Of course they placed bets on this."

Armitage cleared his throat, stepping away from Poe. "Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag."

"Yeah," Poe sighed. "You okay with this?"

The ginger nodded, a small smile on his lips. "Yes, I am. In a way it's more… real if others know."

"More real? How do you mean?"

Armitage bit his lip. "Just… sometimes I wonder if this is all a dream, if I've just imagined you into being out of some desperate need for affection."

"Tage," Poe took his partner's hand, kissing his knuckles and pulling him close. "I'm real, I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."

"I know," Armitage smiled, squeezing his hand back. "Now as much as I'd love to snog you senseless right now, we do have company with wild imaginations. Lord knows what scenarios they'll think up if we don't rejoin them soon."

Poe laughed. "Alright then. Let's go."

Armitage didn't even hesitate to walk back into the living room hand-in-hand with Poe.

* * *

Their days continued in much the same fashion; shared meals and stolen kisses, with soft touches that grew bolder each time they were together.

Tonight they'd actually gone out for dinner. It felt like a real date but without any of the awkwardness of first dates, given how well they already knew each other. Poe was looking quite delectable in his black button down that he'd no doubt purposefully left more buttons undone than was necessarily decent. Likewise, Poe was having a difficult time tearing his eyes away from Armitage. He was, as always, very put together, but the salmon shirt he wore brought out the pink undertones in his pale skin, making Poe want to kiss every inch of the tall man.

They were still laughing at something one of them had said as they approached their stoop. Armitage unlocked his door before turning back to Poe and kissing him. It was a long, heated kiss, both their tongues exploring, licking and nipping. With a deep gasp for air, Poe broke the kiss.

"Well, goodnight," he breathed out. He started to pull away until Armitage's grip on his hips tightened, pulling him back.

"Where do you think you're going?" Armitage asked.

"I, well, to bed," Poe stammered.

"Come to bed with me," the other man whispered before pressing another kiss to his lips.

"Tage, are you sure?" Poe returned the kiss eagerly, peppering more kisses on this pale jaw and neck before him.

Armitage cupped his jaw in both hands so he could look him straight in the eye. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

That was all Poe needed. He kissed Armitage passionately, pushing the other man toward the door which gave way to their entrance. Their path to the bedroom was a blur of kisses and touches. By the time they tumbled onto the bed both their shirts were discarded. Both men were straining against their pants. Poe reached down to unbuckle Armitage's trousers, kissing a trail down his chest as he did so. He licked his lips as he slid his trousers and briefs down, revealing a long, hard penis, blushing at the tip.

"May I?" he made sure to make eye contact as he asked for permission.

Armitage's pupils were blown, his lips red and swollen from their kisses. "Please," he rasped.

Poe kissed up his thighs and around the area before licking his way up the shaft to gently suck on the tip. The noises Armitage was making spurred him further. It didn't take long before he'd taken the entire member into his mouth, sliding it in and out, savouring the taste and texture on his tongue. He didn't stop until he felt a sharp tug to his scalp.

"Stop," Armitage panted. "Want you in me."

"You're sure?"

"Poe, if you don't fuck me right now, I swear I'll go mad," the ginger snapped.

Poe chuckled, "Yes, sir." He pushed the other man's thighs up further, refocusing his attention onto the little pink star fluttering before him. He lathed it with his tongue before slowly sliding it into the tight ring. It didn't take long to open the other man up. Poe stood, dropping his own trousers. He licked his lips and palmed his own cock, taking in the sight of Armitage coming completely undone. "Condom?"

Armitage blinked as it took him a second to process the question. He nodded toward one of the nightstands. "There. Top drawer."

Not taking his eyes off the other man, Poe retrieved a condom and a bottle of lube before crawling over the other man. Armitage watched with hooded eyelids as Poe rolled the condom onto his thick penis, moistening the tip with some lube.

"So beautiful," Poe whispered, leaning down to drop a kiss to his lips. Armitage responded hungrily, deepening the kiss while Poe slowly slid into him. Once he was up to the hilt he stopped, giving the other man a moment to adjust to the feeling. "You okay?"

Armitage nodded imperceptibly. "Move," he urged with a small buck of his hips.

Poe obeyed, starting at a slow pace, gradually building speed. He was quite pleased with how vocal Armitage was, and even more pleased that he was the one eliciting such a response from the usually uptight man.

While Poe fucked him, Armitage stroked his own cock. Noticing the ginger was getting close, Poe picked up the pace, pounding into the other man till he saw stars, spilling his seed into him. It was only a few short seconds after that Armitage came with a shout, thick white ropes of cum coating both their chests.

Poe lowered himself to his elbows, caging Armitage in. Both men were panting heavily between feather-light kisses. "Mmm, Tage, so perfect," he praised, nipping at his ear.

As they came down from their high, and the aches from their activities started to settle in, the lovers eventually moved so they lay properly in the bed together under the covers, condom disposed and all traces of cum wiped away. They faced each other, neither finding they could wipe the smiles off their faces.

"You know, I've been thinking," Armitage started.

"Thought I smelled smoke," Poe teased.

"Oh shut it, you," Armitage laughed, shoving him playfully.

"Okay, okay," Poe put his hands up in mock surrender. "What were you thinking?"

"I was just thinking, back to when we first met. I honestly never expected we would end up here."

"No?"

Ginger locks fell into his face as he shook his head. "You?"

Poe bit at his lip. "Expected? Probably not. But hoped? I definitely hoped."

Armitage blushed. "Even when I was being, well, me?"

Poe smiled warmly, stroking his thumb over a sharp cheekbone. "Especially when you were being you. When are you going to get it, Tage? It's _you _I want. All of you."

Feeling a rush of emotion, Armitage kissed him sweetly. They were interrupted by another weight on the bed. Breaking the kiss, they looked down to see Millicent sashaying up the bed toward them before plopping herself between them, purring loudly.

"Well, she certainly seems to approve this development," Armitage smiled, giving her a scritch between the ears.

"Well, thank heavens for that," Poe teased. "Lord knows I'd be kicked to the curb without her highness's approval.

Armitage chuckled, reaching across to press a light kiss to Poe's lips. "Oh, Poe," he sighed, "I'm so glad I asked you to mind my Millicent."

Poe smiled. "Me too, babe. Me too."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! Standby for more from this AU, which can also be found on AO3 as the first of my Minding Matters series!


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